The difference between the effects of acupuncture and massage

The most essential difference in efficacy between the two lies in the level of action and the dimension of regulation - acupuncture focuses on deep stimulation that penetrates the epidermis, which can not only solve problems such as deep soft tissue adhesion and nerve entrapment, but also regulate organ dysfunction through meridians and nerve reflexes.； Massage focuses on the relaxation of external force from the muscle surface to the fascia layer, and is better at quickly relieving superficial muscle strain and local circulation congestion. The indications of the two overlap, and each has its own irreplaceable scenarios. There is no absolute advantage or disadvantage.

A few years ago, when I was rotating in the primary physical therapy department, I met an aunt in her fifties. She stretched her shoulders while dancing in the square, and she could only lift her arms to her chest. After three days of massage at a massage parlor near my home, the stiffness and pain on the surface of her shoulders was relieved a lot. She still hurt when she raised her arms, and it was difficult to even comb her hair. Later, she went to the acupuncture department. Instead of pricking her shoulder, she inserted a needle into the Tiaokou point on her calf, Tuochengshan. She massaged it until she breathed out in less than half a minute - it was the feeling of soreness, numbness and swelling running along the meridians. Anyone who has tried it will understand - and asked her to raise her arm again, and she could raise it above her head on the spot. It’s not that massage is useless, but my problem is caused by deep supraspinatus tendon compression. No matter how hard the massage force is, it is difficult to accurately penetrate the point of tendon adhesion. What’s more, the systemic regulating effect of acupoints along the distal meridian is a unique advantage of acupuncture.

But don’t think that acupuncture is more advanced than massage. A while ago, there was a child who had just finished the college entrance examination. He had been playing games for half a month. His neck was so stiff that he couldn't turn it. He was afraid of needles. So I pressed the trapezius muscle on the shoulder and neck for five minutes. I also used the rolling method to loosen the upper back, and he was able to turn his neck on the spot. Many people think that the more painful the massage, the more effective it is. In fact, this is a misunderstanding. A truly good massage force is one that sinks into the fascial layer. It does not cause skin pain due to hard rubbing. It does not mean that the body feels sore after the massage. This kind of superficial muscle spasm can be massaged without breaking the skin. It is highly comfortable and the effect is quick. It does not require special acupuncture.

In fact, there is still no completely unified statement on the functional boundaries of the two in the industry. Many doctors of the pure acupuncture school believe that massage can only relieve "skin and flesh pain" at best. For internal problems such as chronic gastritis, irregular menstruation, and allergic rhinitis, acupuncture's deep stimulation must be used to regulate nerves and endocrine to be effective. ； However, teachers who practice visceral massage do not agree. When I attended academic conferences before, I saw a team doing abdominal vibration therapy share cases. They relied on regular abdominal vibrations to regulate gastrointestinal motility and insulin secretion, and cured many patients with functional constipation and early type 2 diabetes. There is also solid clinical data support. To put it bluntly, everyone is adjusting the body's qi, blood and circulation, but the paths are different.

If you stay in clinical practice for a long time, you will find that in many cases there is no need to distinguish the two so clearly. My waist is sore after sitting in the clinic for a long time. After get off work, I ask a colleague to massage my back for ten minutes. The superficial muscles are loosened and my whole body feels refreshed. ； If you suffer from myofasciitis after being busy for several days and feel a hard knot on your waist that cannot be opened by pressing it, you can just give it a try by yourself, and the effect will come quickly. There are also patients who add a local relaxing massage after acupuncture, and their recovery is much faster than doing any one item alone. Of course, there are also situations where it is not appropriate to mix and match. For example, patients in the acute stage of facial paralysis have severe facial edema. At this time, if you press the face hard, it will aggravate the nerve edema and delay recovery. The correct solution is to give priority to shallow acupuncture.

Don’t worry when you really have to choose. If you are afraid of needles, just for daily relaxation, or have mild muscle strain, give priority to massage.； If you have deep-seated problems that cannot be solved by massage, or if you need medical treatment, just try acupuncture. After all, your own physical sensation is the most accurate criterion.