Acupuncture is one tool of Chinese medicine, but since the question specifically refers to it I will contain my response to acupuncture. The answer can be taken on two levels. The theoretical and the practical. In the theoretical, acupuncture should not conflict with Western medicine. Although the two medicines operate from different paradigms they generally support each other. However, in practice, there might be a few cases where acupuncture may not be the best choice for a given patient. Examples of this might be poor needling technique which might cause bleeding or bruising in a patient with coagulation issues or choosing to needle a patient having a heart attack instead of calling 911. The medicine has been around for thousands of years and although there is a treatment for heart attacks, the prudent thing to do is to recognise the superiority of Western medicne in that particlar situation. Otherwise, generally speaking, the answer is no.
It is very rare that there is an antagonistic relationship between acupuncture and western medicine. By acupuncture, I am referring to only the needles and not to the herbal medicine practiced by most acupuncturists. In China, where integration between the two systems is the norm, it has been seen for decades that the two can be mutually beneficial. Here in the USA, where acupuncture is a relatively new field with limited western clinical research to back up its efficacy, it is regarded with some reserve. And rightly so. It is health that we are dealing with after all. As was pointed out in the previous answer, there are cases where acupuncture can be potentially harmful. Although, I must say that the examples referred to would only happen in the hands of the inexperienced. Board licensed acupuncturists are well-educated in the cautions and contra-indications for acupuncture. As a teacher of a California board test prep course, I can vouch for that. But, as in any profession there are some practitioners that are better educated and informed than others. Please review the practitioners credentials when choosing an acupuncturist. Most biomedical doctors, at least here in California, are referring their patients out for acupuncture for certain syndromes such as pain, infertility, cancer adjunct therapy, digestive disorders, insomnia, stress etc. With time and experience, acupuncture is not only proving to be effective but also beneficial as co-treatment with western medicine
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