I saw a documentary once of Chinese surgeons operating with only acupuncture for surgery... Anyways, I didn't believe in it, but was convinced to try it for repetitive stress injury in the arms (typing) and it worked to my surprise. I think you have to go to a Chinese doctor trained in China. Where I live there are a lot of acupuncture places, but they are all Westerners who did like a two-year course. The only thing they can do is *align your chakras.*
Donna - my mum had scleroderma... The Chinese doctor prescribed herbal medicine, not acupuncture... And it worked. For my type 1 diabetes (also autoimmune in terms of cause), he said go see a Western doctor...
... I think the long and short is, I'd only accept Chinese medicine from a real Chinese doctor... and so outside of LA and SF, I wouldn't bother... And in those cities, I think you need a Chinese grandma to find you the doctor...