Acupuncture for pain Relief. Developed in China thousands of years ago, acupuncture is now used widely in western medicine as an effective drug free method of pain control. Acupuncture can be used to treat many conditions including recent injuries, back and neck pain, headaches and long term pain such as arthritis. Many recent medical studies have proved acupuncture is effective in reducing pain. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into specific anatomical points. The needles are gently manipulated at intervals during the treatment releasing the body’s natural pain killing and anti-inflammatory substances.