Acupuncture as effective energy medicine

It amuses me that the people who are determining whether or not acupuncture is effective are the same people who don't believe in energy medicine. How can they determine whether or not acupuncture is effective as an energy medicine without admitting that energy medicine exists. They say that it is effective at skeleto-muscular pain relief or to reduce the withdrawal symptoms of drug addicts. There are many other ailments that they admit acupuncture helps, but they will not admit how. How else but energy?