For athletes I recommend acupuncture in two ways:
Preventatively acupuncture is a fantastic way to increase recovery speed during arduous training cycles, de-enflame specific trouble spots that are prone to tendonitis and pain, as well as boosting overall immune levels.
Acupuncture can also greatly increase healing time for non structurally based acute injuries such as strains, sprains, tears, and any other trauma where inflammation is an issue (most of them), in addition to drastically reducing the recovery time needed post surgery. I get most of my referrals from Chiropractors who are having success adjustments with their patients but still finding them to have nerve pain and/or numbness lingering.
I personally used acupuncture after having my ACL partially torn from a heel hook. My treatment course was three acupuncture treatments with electro-stim per week for six weeks and in that time I went from not being able to walk without assistance to fighting MMA with a neoprene brace on. Acupuncture works.