The difference between acupuncture and acupoint massage

The most essential difference between the two is the intervention method and stimulation depth - acupuncture is an invasive and invasive operation, which can act on meridian nodes, deep muscles and even lesion locations under the dermis, and the stimulation level is deeper.； Massage is a non-invasive external force stimulation that affects superficial and middle muscles and fascia at most. The stimulation is gentler and can be adapted to a wider range of scenarios.

I recently treated a 20-year-old programmer who suffered from stiff neck pain for three days. When he turned his neck, he could only move his upper body together. He was afraid of needles when he first came here, so I first massaged him on Fengchi, Jianjing, and Tianzong for 15 minutes. When I pressed it, he complained of pain. When I released it, he could turn a little, but it still hurt when he lowered his head. After a long time of persuading him to agree to a needle injection in Houxi, I inserted a 0.25*40 filiform needle and twisted it for less than 10 seconds. I asked him if there was any soreness in his arm. He nodded and I asked him to try turning his neck. He said "Wow" on the spot and said that it was almost 80% loose.

However, this cannot be said to death. There have always been different views in the industry: Old-school doctors who do acupoints on internal organs and internal massage always say that they have practiced finger strength for more than ten years and can penetrate three inches under the skin. When it comes to serious malaria, the effect is no worse than shallow needles.； Most doctors who specialize in acupuncture believe that no matter how strong the finger force is, it cannot penetrate the dermis and stimulate the deep nerve bundles and meridian nodes. The ceiling of the effect is there. I have been exposed to both theories. I have also seen a master of internal massage who can help a patient with lumbar protrusion who has been with the disease for more than ten years to get off the ground and walk. I have also seen a few acupuncture needles cure stubborn facial paralysis in half a month. In fact, even if the technique is pushed to the extreme, it can produce results. There is no need to compete for superiority.

For ordinary people, the selection thresholds between the two are actually quite different. Think about it, if you eat too much at home and you feel better if you rub the Panmen point for 5 minutes, you can’t just prick your hand with a needle, right? There are also children who have a fever and don’t like to eat. Chiropractic and massage on the spleen meridian are much more acceptable than acupuncture, and the children will not suffer. However, if you encounter problems such as post-herpetic neuralgia, cervical spondylosis for many years, hand numbness, and menstrual cramps that are painful enough to cause vomiting, massage may not relieve the problem even after three or five massages. If you find an acupuncturist in a regular hospital, you can see significant improvement after a few times. Oh, by the way, there are two types of people who absolutely give priority to massage: one type has problems with coagulation function and is prone to bleeding after acupuncture. ； The first category is those who are particularly afraid of needles and easily faint from needles. Hard pricking may be dangerous, and the effect of gentle massage on the acupoints is not as stable.

An inappropriate analogy: massaging acupuncture points is like wirelessly charging your mobile phone. No plug-in is required. It is convenient and safe, but the power is small, charging is slow, and it cannot solve the underlying battery loss problem.； Acupuncture is like plugging in a fast charging cable. It has high power and quick effect, but you need to find the right interface and have to be operated by a professional, otherwise the battery will easily burn out.

Many people still have a misunderstanding. They think that whether it is pressing or pricking, the more painful it is, the more effective it is. When they meet a technician who grins when they press on you, they still think that they are "powerful" and "professional", but this is not the case. Whether it is the "deqi feeling" of acupuncture or the "soreness and swelling feeling" of massage, the core is "acidity without stinging, swelling without pain". If the pain makes you tense up and break out in a cold sweat, it is not that the stimulation is in place, but that the intensity is too much. Instead, it will consume qi and blood, and the gain will not be worth the loss. I met an aunt before and heard someone say that Zusanli massage was used to replenish qi and blood. Every day I massaged it at home until the top of my knees were blue. After half a month, I felt even more tired. It was because the force was too much.

In the end, there is no saying that acupuncture or acupoint massage is better than the other. Both are good methods of external treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. Which one you choose depends entirely on your needs: daily health care, emergency response to minor problems, and if you are afraid of pain, massage is enough.； If you have an old illness that cannot be solved by massage, or if you can tolerate invasive procedures, you should find a doctor with regular qualifications to do acupuncture. Don't listen to the messy propaganda on the Internet about which "magic skill" is the best. The one that suits you is the best.