The difference and connection between the effects of acupuncture and massage

Acupuncture and massage both belong to the external treatment system of traditional Chinese medicine. The underlying logic is to regulate qi and blood and balance yin and yang by stimulating the meridians and acupoints. The difference in efficacy between the two is mainly concentrated in the three dimensions of level of action, intervention efficiency, and adaptability to the scene. There is no absolute superiority or inferiority. In clinical practice, the relationship is more complementary than substitute.

A 22-year-old Internet operator girl came to the clinic last week. She had an acute lumbar spur and could not bend her waist. She came in holding on to the wall. I first pricked her Weizhong acupoints on both sides. Within 10 seconds of the acupuncture, she said that the pulling pain in her lower back had disappeared by 70%. Then I pressed the tight tendons in her lumbosacral area for fifteen minutes. When she got up, she could already bend down to tie her shoelaces. Many patients will ask me, which of the two methods just now is more useful? In fact, if anything is missing, the effect will be compromised.

Speaking of these two things, they are originally from the same root. In the Huangdi Neijing, acupuncture, moxibustion, and stone stones (the prototype of massage) are all classified as external treatment methods. The core is "opening" - whether it is using acupuncture or pressing with hands, it gives the body a benign stimulation, unblocks the blocked meridians, and allows Qi and blood to go where they should go. In the past, veteran Chinese medicine doctors basically used acupuncture and massage indiscriminately. After inserting the acupuncture, they would rub your swollen acupoints twice. This was not an extra service, but was part of a set of treatment logic.

If you really want to tell the difference, the first thing you can feel is the difference in levels of effect. Usually when we do massage, most of it works on the skin, fascia, and muscle layers. For example, if you have a stiff neck and your neck is as hard as frozen pork, the masseur can rub it for about ten minutes to loosen the tight knots. The soreness and relaxation are real, but If you want to rub the deep acupoints or even the periosteum level, the finger strength of the masseur is extremely demanding - I have seen an old masseur who has been working for 30 years, and the finger strength can penetrate the deep muscles between the shoulder blades, but it is difficult for most ordinary practitioners to do this. At this time, the advantages of acupuncture come out. The filiform needles can accurately penetrate to the desired depth. For example, if the knee is painful and the yangguan is inserted, the swelling feeling when the needle tip touches the femoral surface cannot be removed by vigorous massage. Of course, there are different opinions here. The Western deep tissue massage school believes that as long as the techniques are in place, it can achieve a deep stimulation effect similar to acupuncture. I agree with this, but the requirements for operators are much higher than acupuncture, and the universality is not that strong.

Then the adaptation situation is completely different. For example, for acute pain, a gout attack, a sprained foot, or a stiff neck that hurts so much that you can't turn your head, the speed of acupuncture's effect cannot be compared with massage. In many cases, the pain is relieved as soon as the needle is inserted. If you press it at this time, the patient may jump up in pain. But if it is a chronic strain, such as sore shoulders and necks and tight backs accumulated from sitting in the office all year round, if you ask him to come in for acupuncture three times a week, most people will find it painful and troublesome. Instead, he will massage it for half an hour every few days, and the whole body will feel lighter. The kind of relaxation that acupuncture cannot bring - after all, massage also has an emotional soothing effect.

There are also some situations where you can only choose one of them. For example, for people who are dizzy from acupuncture, you cannot press hard and massage is more suitable. For elderly people with damaged skin or severe osteoporosis, you dare not press hard. Acupuncture is safer as long as it avoids blood vessels and important organs. There are many differences in the industry now. Some traditional acupuncture schools believe that massage is just "surface work", which can only adjust the superficial syndrome, but cannot adjust the internal Qi and blood deficiency; some massage schools think that acupuncture is invasive and should be used if possible. In fact, this is all prejudice. I have been doing this myself for almost ten years, and most of the time I use a combination of them: first use acupuncture to relieve pain in acute attacks, and use massage to loosen the superficial muscles to strengthen them. If you are afraid of needles, first massage for ten minutes to relax the muscles, and then use thin needles to make shallow pricks. The effect is much better than using one method alone.

In fact, for us ordinary people, there is no need to worry about which function is better. When the pain is severe and unbearable, go to a reliable doctor for a couple of injections. When you are tired, go to a regular massage shop to loosen your muscles and bones. If you really have chronic problems, just listen to the doctor’s advice. They are all practical methods that have been passed down for thousands of years. Whatever suits you is the best.