Clinical observations indicate that corticosteroids antagonize acupuncture in the treatment of pain cases. Because of this effect, the order of these two treatments to effect positive change in a patient's pain condition requires serious consideration.

Although acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been effectively employed by physicians for thousands of years for a myriad of disease conditions, acupuncture, in the United States, is still primarily noted for its ability to control pain since its introduction into the mainstream media in 1972.

Nevertheless, it would be an incorrect assumption that acupuncture works only by inhibiting pain nerve impulses and blocking nerve paths responsible for pain sensation. This may be the case for acupuncture used for the specific purpose of surgical anesthesia, but this is only a very small application of acupuncture as part of the comprehensive Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system of health care.

An important aspect of commonly applied acupuncture works by reducing inflammation and improving blood flow by influencing ones own natural biochemistry. This drugless affect on the body is part of the reason why acupuncture can reduce or eliminate pain while also aiding in the rectification of a disease condition without harmful side effects.

The many potential side-effects of using corticosteroids are eliminated when acupuncture is used for pain control and inflammation reduction. According to Lippincott’s Nursing Drug Guide 2005, some of the adverse effects of the systemic administration of hydrocortisones include: vertigo, headache, hypotension, shock, thin and fragile skin, amenorrhea, irregular menses, peptic or gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, fluid retention, hypokalemia, muscle weakness, immuno-suppression, aggravated or masking of infections, and impaired wound healing. While most of these adverse effects are not noted for topical cortisone therapy, the risks may increase with repeated usage that systemic absorption may occur.