A Canadian-led review recommended the procedure as a cost-effective and safe way to relieve mechanical neck pain, according to a National Center for Biological Information article.

There are many methods of pain treatment for the musculoskeletal system. Each possessed its advantages and disadvantages.

One option is acupuncture, a famous technique where thin needles are carefully inserted into certain parts of the body. It's a staple part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and used for many centuries to treat a wide variety of symptoms.

In 2006, a McMaster University research team investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating sudden, semi-sudden, and long-term neck pain. Led by Kien Trinh, they wished to find out its efficacy for adults plagued with neck pain.

A decade later, Trinh's team decided to update their earlier review. They consulted six major databases for published trials dating from their beginning to August 2015. They also looked up reference lists, a pair of trial registers, and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS), a database specializing in acupuncture.