The difference between acupuncture and massage

The former is an invasive medical procedure that penetrates the skin barrier and simultaneously mobilizes qi and blood circulation and nerve regulation pathways through precise stimulation of meridian acupoints. The latter is a non-invasive physical intervention that acts on muscles, fascia, and body surface meridians. The applicable scenarios, operating thresholds, and risk levels of the two are completely incomparable.

When I was rotating in the physical therapy department of a traditional Chinese medicine hospital a few years ago, almost every day I would encounter patients standing at the triage table holding registration slips and asking: I have neck pain/lower pain/headache. Is it better to have acupuncture or massage? There is really no standard answer to this question, it depends on your situation.

Let’s talk about the most common stiff neck. When you wake up in the morning, your neck is crooked and unable to turn, and the trapezius muscle feels as hard as bacon that has been dried for three days. In this case, you can find a reliable masseur and rub away the spasmodic nodules. In up to 20 minutes, you can slowly turn your head on the spot, which is more obvious than the instant relaxation effect of acupuncture. But if you have the kind of migraine that has been lingering for more than half a year, the blood vessels in your temples are throbbing, and your eye sockets are sore. Many people feel comfortable after the massage, but the pain comes back when the wind blows outside the store. At this time, ask an acupuncture doctor to insert two needles in Sugu and Taiyang, and then add a needle at the far end. Hegu, if you leave the needles in for twenty minutes, most people will experience half the pain relief. This is the advantage of acupuncture's penetrating nature - it can directly act on the deep nerves and acupoints that cannot be penetrated by massage, and it mobilizes the body's own ability to regulate, rather than just loosening the superficial muscles.

Of course, if a senior masseur from the Jingjin Sect hears this, he or she will most likely criticize me: "When I perform deep fascia release, the force can penetrate the periosteum, is it no worse than your acupuncture?" ”This is really not an exaggeration. I have seen an old masseur who has been working for 20 or 30 years. When dealing with severe lumbar muscle strain, the force of pressing with the heel of the palm can be precise to a certain adherent fascia, and the effect is indeed no worse than ordinary acupuncture. But in essence, no matter how deep the massage force is, it does not break through the skin barrier. When encountering situations that require micro-trauma by acupuncture to stimulate the body's repair response - such as post-herpetic neuralgia or the sequelae of intractable facial neuritis - no matter how hard the massage is, it cannot replace acupuncture. The same goes for the opposite. Many acupuncture doctors look down on massage and think it is "superficial". This is too biased. Just say that a child has a fever caused by food accumulation. If you give him acupuncture, he will cry out of breath. If you ask a pediatric massage doctor to massage the spine and rub the abdomen, most of the fever will be reduced in half an hour. The acceptance rate is high and the effect is not bad at all.

Having said that, I have to mention the risk issue that is most easily ignored by everyone. Acupuncture is an invasive procedure, and the state requires that you must be a licensed physician to perform it. If the procedure is not properly sterilized, there is a risk of cross-infection. If you encounter a wild path that does not understand anatomy, it can cause pneumothorax if it is punctured at the top of the lungs, and it may leave sequelae if it is punctured on the nerves. It is really not something you can just find in a health center. The risk of massage is much lower. Even if the ordinary relaxing massage is more intense, the pain will disappear in two or three days at most. But don’t be careless. I have treated patients whose cervical spine was violently pulled by the master of a street massage shop, causing atlantoaxial joint subluxation. No matter what you choose, you must find a regular place.

Let me give you my own example. I sat for four consecutive days while working on a project last month. My shoulders hurt first. I went home and rolled a foam roller and asked my wife to massage it twice. The superficial muscles were loosened, but there was a point in the middle of my back that hurt when I held my chest. It didn't hurt anywhere, but I felt nervous when I moved. Later, I asked a colleague to put a needle in the corresponding Zhiyang point. I twisted it for about three seconds. I felt that the pulling force "cracked" and then dissipated. Do you think this can be done with massage? Most likely it won't work. The pain point is in the deep fascia gap and is blocked by the muscles on the outside. The force of pressing is scattered and cannot penetrate the precise position.

In fact, there is really no need to compare these two, each has its own applicable scenarios. If you are afraid of pain, just suffered from muscle strain, or want to relax and relieve fatigue, choose massage ； If you have chronic deep-seated pain, regulation issues related to your organs, or can tolerate the soreness, numbness, and swelling of needles, try acupuncture. If you can meet a reliable doctor and work together, the results will be really fast.