What is the difference between acupuncture and massage

The core difference in efficacy between the two is the level of action and depth of adaptation. Acupuncture can penetrate deep into the subcutaneous tissue to reach the meridians, muscle nodes and even the periosteum layer. It can not only loosen deep adhesion blocks, but also regulate the functions of the organs through the circulation of meridians. The force of massage mostly covers the skin, muscles, and superficial and middle fascia. The core function is to relax local soft tissue tension and improve body surface circulation.

I treated a little girl who works as an Internet operator last week. She suffered from stiff neck and migraine on the right side for almost ten days. She first had two shoulder and neck massages. The rotation of her neck was no longer stuck, but the throbbing pain in her right temple did not subside at all. I touched her Fengchi point and there was a cord-like knot deep in it. When I massaged it, I couldn't rub it in. She was in pain when I tried hard. Later, I gave her two Fengchi injections and added a distal foot. During the injection, she said that the pulling force on the back of her head was gone. When she got up, most of her headache had disappeared. This is the advantage of deep stimulation.

Of course, there are different opinions in the industry. Many masters who perform deep fascial release believe that as long as the technique is precise and strong enough, the massage can penetrate to a depth of three to four centimeters and deal with the deep knots that are usually touched by acupuncture. However, this type of technique requires extremely high skills from the operator. It is difficult to reach this depth with conventional relaxation techniques in ordinary massage parlors, and the recipient must be able to withstand a strong sense of soreness and swelling. People with poor tolerance often cannot persist.

In fact, it is a good choice for ordinary people's daily needs. If you just have stiff shoulders and necks after sitting for an afternoon, sore calves after climbing a mountain, or stiff neck after sleeping for a day, there is really no need for acupuncture for this kind of superficial fatigue and discomfort. Find a reliable massage parlor and massage for forty to fifty minutes. Your whole body will be relaxed. It is cost-effective and does not require skin breakage. It is also highly acceptable. But if you have problems such as old lumbar protrusion that has been painful for several years, recurring chronic gastritis, or perennial dysmenorrhea, which are related to internal qi, blood, and organ function, the advantages of acupuncture are even more obvious. It does not just focus on the painful area and use force to find remote acupoints along the meridians. It can smooth the internal qi and blood circulation. This is an effect that is difficult to achieve with ordinary massage.

In fact, there are many clinical studies now that believe that the core working principles of both are to regulate nerve excitability and improve local circulation through external stimulation. However, the input stimulation methods are different, and there is no absolute distinction between superior and inferior. If you are particularly afraid of needles and will feel dizzy when acupuncture is applied, even if the problem is deeper, find a good muscle management master to slowly adjust it, and the effect will be achieved. Don't suffer the consequences of insisting on acupuncture.