To clarify a bit:
If you are seeing an acupuncturist who uses 32 points in one session, go find another therapist. I won't say too much, but if the person has a strong foundation in TCM and knows his/her stuff about meridian theory/Jing-Luo the practitioner certainly will not come close to using 30+ points. The maximum I ever use in acupuncture (for a multitude of issues and with local distal focuses for pain and then organ imablances all together) would be 12ish. Some of the greatest Chinese doctors I have learned from and been treated by can treat the whole body and many conditions with less than 3 or 4 points (with incredible results). Using that many points is ridiculous (just my opinion though). Manual therapies are totally different though, so for shiatsu treating 200+ points is not uncommon before focusing on MITA etc.
As for pain, most of the time acupuncture needles should not hurt. There a some points which may hurt a bit more, but I'd say most points should not cause pain. I'm a needle phobe and still shake when recieving treatment; aside from when working locally on my shin splints, the needles rarely elicit pain. The only specific form of acupuncture that tends to be more painful in general would be auricular acupunture.
I started in the western side of medicine and it didn't take me long to gravitate toward the eastern side of things. It isn't for everyone, but some people get great results. I'm a big fan of combining manual therapy with acupuncture and find that tends to work best. There are some conditions that respond better to one form of treatment than another, so your best bet would be to talk with an experienced practitioner and see what he/she can suggest.
ps: I can empathize with waitressing. I did it for a couple of years to help get through school. Good shoes!! Get 'em lol! And another biggie is to remember to stretch after your shifts. Good luck! If the treatments are covered, I say go for it!!
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