Acupuncture is the best and should be the frontline treatment for any kind of pain. One important mechanism is that acupuncture induces the release of the body's own pain-killing opoids. Studies have shown that acupuncture analgesics include enkephalins, endorphins, dynorphins, endomorphins, and nociceptin. Electroacupuncture research is accumulating evidence that each of these substances has a specific frequency and hence can be selectively elicited. Acupuncture also releases non-opoid neuropeptides that helps with inflamation and pain. All this is important information to know and act on in light of the current opoid epidemic.

The 2017 White Paper sourced here, 'Acupuncture's Role in Solving the Opoid Epidemic: Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability for Acupuncture as a Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method for Pain Relief and Management' is also a comprehensive but brief summary of up to date information about acupuncture analgesics.