It depends on how long ago the injury occurred and are you seeing any improvement?
My small dog tweaked her back a few months ago, she was in a lot of pain (for about 3 days). The vet said she needed rest and pain meds for a few days. He didn’t do an x-ray, just a physical exam.
I saw improvement after a 3 days, maybe we got lucky. I no longer allow her to jump into or out of the car, I have steps for any furniture she uses (the big heavy carpeted one is best for the bed).
Every now and then she looks a little stiff but so far she has not needed any further treatment.
I would be honest with your vet regarding your financial concerns and see what he advises.
You may find some interesting information about acupuncture over here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/acupuncture/ Science-based Veterinary Medicine
Best of luck
