"Though I cannot comment on the improved efficacy of electrically stimulated needles, acupuncture itself certainly ought to be effective without the juice."

Absolutely. I should have made this more clear. When I said "stimulation," I was refering to the physical manipulation of the needles by the practitioners hand, not necessarily the addition of electrical stimulation. When a practitioner does acupuncture they are not just dropping a needile into a body at any given point. Although there are certain techniques, like those of Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi, that are inserted superficially with no physical stimulation, those are not the norm and are not for every patient nor treatment. Usually some type of manual manipulation is used once the needle is inserted.

Take care