So you're saying my health insurance company pays $80/week for a placebo. Nice. They just throw money around, don't they?

There is evidence of Qi energy. It's evident in the morphogenic force that drives cell division and specification. I really hope you look into this, and I'm following to make sure you do.

For what its worth, I was treated unsuccessfully with needles for sciatica, and I had paid cash. 5 years later the pain happened again, and I realized that acupuncture was covered by my insurance so I figured what the hell, give it a shot.

I had no expectations and I told no one. The next day my neighbor commented on how much 'straighter I was standing'.

In addition to back pain, I've had asthma and stomach issues treated with noticeable, but temporary effects. Besides this experience I've had my Basset Hound treated for back pain and it worked like the movies. That's the only reason I ever paid for my first treatment - because I saw it work on my dog. Those $50 treatments for him were worth every penny.

I always thought it was bullshit, too until I saw the real-world effects. I know it's flaky, and that's why I looked into it. Now I have an answer and I'm sharing it with you.

Piezoelectric qualities of collagen in the organic fascia tissue - that's what the needles act upon. Fascia forms a network of sorts throughout the body and when the intersecting points are stimulated there are beneficial results. This much we already know.

If you and I had our own lab, I guarantee we could figure this all out in a few months, but where would it lead us philosophically? We might discover that we're more than a lucky collection of matter devoid of any 'spiritual' component. We might just discover that we share this 'non-material component' with animals and that would upset people on both sides of the scientific fence.

edit: I just remembered when the practitioner stuck a needle in the fleshy part of the earlobe my sinuses opened and drained immediately. I could hear and feel it happen. It was unmistakable and unexpected. She was treating stress/anxiety on that visit. Definitely not a placebo effect.