I tried acupuncture for 2 years. While I absolutely loved it, it didn't kill the pain one bit for me.
It always leads me to the idea that costo can be caused by a variety of reasons, and the cure can be elusive.
I believe mine is a mechanical issue. My massage therapist is my cure. I also think that taking those years of NSAIDs killed my stomach and liver which made the secondary problems much worse. Messed up innards led to more physical bracing, leading to more mechanical issues and pain.
At least that's my theory.
Oddly I just had a flair up this week. I have been under a great deal of stress lately. Yep, bracing. No doubt about it for me.