A survey of over 89 000 patients undergoing acupuncture treatment for musculoskeletal pain, has found that 93% of them report that their acupuncturist was successful in treating their primary complaint. Most of these patients had experienced chronic pain over many years, and had sought out an acupuncturist as a last resort, so they were unlikely to have improved spontaneously.
Additionally, 99% of patients rated the quality of care and service they received as good to excellent, thus exceeding national benchmark averages for conventional care providers. Patients also reported high levels of willingness to recommend others to their individual practitioners. The results came from a validated US Department of Health survey tool. Only 0.014% of patients reported a minor adverse event, and no serious ones were documented.
(Acupuncture: Does Acupuncture Provided Within a Managed Care Setting Meet Patient Expectations and Quality Outcomes? A 2-Year Retroactive Study of 89,000 Managed Network Patients. American Specialty Health Incorporated Health Services Department.)