Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
In light of the fact that there is nothing in the sources to forbid it, your wife is certainly allowed to receive acupuncture treatment if it has been recommended to her.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states,
Islam exhorts the faithful to have recourse to all kinds of beneficial treatments that have been proven effective or are thought to be beneficial.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O servants of Allah, take medications and receive proper treatments, for Allah has appointed a cure for every disease.” (Abu Dawud)
This hadith should be taken as encouragement to seek medical treatment so long as this treatment does not involve beliefs or practices inimical to Islam.
There is nothing in Islam to forbid Muslims from resorting to alternative therapies or treatments so long as they do not involve beliefs or practices inimical to Islam. Acupuncture is one of such practices; it has been an integral part of traditional medicine in certain parts of the world like China; and it has been found to be effective and beneficial in some cases.
Certain controlled experiments in acupuncture conducted under the guidance of modern medical professionals in hospital settings have also confirmed its beneficial effects in certain kinds of treatments.
Islam is a religion that embraces life; thus it celebrates health and wellness; hence it is not at all surprising that Islam exhorts the faithful to have recourse to all kinds of beneficial treatments that have been proven effective or thought to be beneficial.
To do so is considered not only permissible but also encouraged, and even recommended. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O servants of Allah, take medications and receive proper treatments, for Allah has appointed a cure for every disease.” (Abu Dawud)
In light of the above, and in light of the fact that there is nothing in the sources to forbid it, I can only state that your wife is certainly allowed to receive acupuncture treatment if it has been recommended to her; but it is important for her to insist on receiving this treatment only under the guidance and supervision of the professionals who are properly qualified in the field.
For, if by any chance, an unscrupulous practitioner mixes acupuncture treatment with any kind of occult beliefs or practices, then there is no guarantee that they would not be contrary to the Islamic beliefs and practices, in which case such treatments would definitely be considered as objectionable in Islam.
For more, see the following fatwas:
Peeling Procedures to Remove Freckles and Dark Spots: Permissible?
Can Muslim Take Medicine with Alcohol?
Allah Almighty knows best.