Which is better, acupuncture or massage

In fact, there is no absolute answer as to which one is more effective. The action paths and adaptation scenarios of the two are completely different. If you choose the right adaptation question, the effect will not be bad.

Last week I met a 20-year-old programmer who had a stiff neck after sleeping with the air conditioner on. For two days, his neck was so crooked that it felt like he had been pressed on the body button. When he came in, he had to turn sideways even to drink water. I first massaged his shoulder and neck for 15 minutes to loosen most of the stiff sternocleidomastoid muscle. At that time, he could turn his head slightly, but it still hurt when he turned it to the maximum angle. Then I gave him two needles at Houxi and Stochastic acupoints. While the needles were in place, I asked him to move his neck slowly. After about ten minutes of starting the needles, he could shake his head from side to side on the spot. Which one do you think is better? None of them alone will have such a quick effect.

Speaking of it, I have been doing external therapy for almost ten years. I have come into contact with many patients, and I can clearly feel that the advantages of the two are actually quite different. Most of the common injuries we encounter are caused by long-term sitting. For example, if you sit in the office from 9 to 5, your waist will be too stiff to straighten up after work, and your shoulders will be so sore that it is difficult to lift your arms. This kind of superficial muscle tension and spasm, the instant relaxation of massage is actually much better than acupuncture. You can directly touch the tight cords and hard knots with your hands, and the intensity can be adjusted at any time. After pressing, you can stand up and stretch your waist. The relaxing feeling all over the body is why many people prefer massage.

But if the problem is deep, such as piriformis muscle compression caused by incorrect squatting all year round, which causes pain that numbs the entire leg, or a throbbing neurological migraine where the strength of the hand cannot penetrate that deep, then the advantages of acupuncture will be revealed. Fine needle pricking By going to the corresponding focus point or acupuncture point along the meridian, the unblocking force can directly affect the deep layer. Many old migraine patients told me that when they usually feel pain, they can only be treated by rubbing the temples for about ten minutes. By pricking Fengchi and Taichong acupuncture points and leaving the needles for half an hour, it can be treated without pain for several days.

Of course, it depends on the person. I have several old patients who are born with needle-sickness and their legs feel soft when they see the needles. Even if acupuncture is more suitable for the symptoms, I will not give them acupuncture. I will give priority to massage. You can't scare people first in order to cure the disease. Some people's skin is particularly sensitive. Bruises will appear with a little force and the pain will last for several days. Acupuncture has less stimulation and is a more suitable choice.

There are a lot of debates on the Internet now. Some people say that acupuncture is metaphysics and cannot be seen or touched. How can massage be reliable when actually pressing on the muscles? Others say that massage can only relieve superficial fatigue, while acupuncture can remove the root cause. In fact, both of these opinions are a bit extreme. They are all based on their own experience. In essence, they are both external treatment methods of traditional Chinese medicine. The core is to dredge qi and blood and straighten the muscles. One uses needles as tools, and the other uses hands as tools.

If you are really confused about which one to choose, it is better to find a professional doctor to evaluate your problem first. If you have sore shoulders and back pain caused by working overtime recently, find a reliable masseur to relieve it after two massages;