Is acupuncture better than western medicine?

I recently had a session of acupuncture for left shoulder/left forearm pain mostly caused from minor weight lifting one month ago.  I have had other injuries where Western methods I thought ensured thorough healing.  Recently the neuropathy sustained in my shoulder seems to be healing better with acupuncture pain medicine therapy.  Is this normal? I would prefer to stick to this plan if it truly improves but are there further risks associated to this course?
Tim46

[Monica B Kaderali, MS, LAc]

There are little to no risks associated with acupuncture.  You might get a bruise and some soreness after a session, but that is about it.
Acupuncture has been gaining a lot of popularity amongst professional athletes and is being used more and more for sports injuries.  In fact, many of the Chinese and American Olympians who competed in Beijing used acupuncture for sprains and strains.  If acupuncture is working for you, then stick with it.

[allmymarbles]

You might also want to use a Chinese preparation, Yunnan Bayou (I think the spelling is wrong), topically. It speeds healing, and is much, much better than arnica.