Grace I have been working in community clinics for almost ten years and have been asked this question by patients no less than a hundred times. In fact, there is no absolute "who is better". It all depends on which method is more suitable for your current problem.
The courier boy who picked up an acute lumbar sprain last month came in holding on to the door frame. His waist was crooked like a straw blown down by the wind. The X-ray showed that there was no problem with the bones. It was just a deep muscle spasm that jammed the small joints. He originally yelled for me to apply pressure on him quickly, but I didn't dare to do it directly - at that time, his muscles were as tight as a fully stretched bow string, and he gasped in pain when he touched it. Pressing hard would easily aggravate the soft tissue damage. First, he was given two needles to treat pain points in his back and lower back. When he was exhausted, he hissed and said that the pulling pain in his waist suddenly relaxed half a minute. After leaving the needles in for ten minutes, he could slowly turn his waist. After the needles were removed, he was given superficial muscle relaxation. He was able to walk out on his own in half an hour. If it were purely massage, it would have taken at least two or three times to relieve it to this extent.
Of course, it doesn’t mean that acupuncture is a panacea. I’ve seen many people’s legs become weak after seeing acupuncture. The little girl who works as an Internet operator who came here last week had a stiff shoulder and neck for almost half a year. She lowered her head for ten minutes and felt a throbbing pain in her temples. She clutched her bag and ran when she heard an acupuncture was about to be inserted. I simply gave her a forty-minute shoulder and neck massage, from the upper trapezius muscle to the supraspinatus muscle. The deep "knots" were rubbed open bit by bit, and when the area was severely blocked, she occasionally gasped in pain, but she could still bear it and said "the soreness feels good". After the massage, she turned her neck twice and said that she felt that the two big stones pressing on her shoulders had finally been moved away, and her eyes were brightened a lot. For her, a massage that does not require needles and provides a more relaxing feeling is obviously a more effective choice.
I can also feel it when I usually communicate with colleagues. In fact, people rarely compete with each other. Most of the time, they use them in combination: for example, if you encounter stubborn frozen shoulder, first use acupuncture to loosen the deep adhesions, and then use massage to smoothen the superficial muscles. The recovery speed is much faster than using one method alone. There are also patients who have their own preferences. An old lady who often comes to adjust her sleep likes to get acupuncture. She said that the 20 minutes after the acupuncture is left in place are peaceful, and when she wakes up, she feels relaxed and relaxed, and she sleeps better. ； A young man who just came to get off work would like to lie there and massage his shoulders for half an hour. He said that he didn’t need to take off his clothes and wait for the needle to be inserted. After the massage, he could go directly to eat. He felt very comfortable.
Of course, whether you choose acupuncture or massage, the prerequisite is to find a regular licensed practitioner. A while ago, I received a patient who suffered a small pneumothorax from acupuncture at a small shop in a community. There was also an acute attack of lumbar disc herniation due to violent massage. The method itself is not good or bad. It is really effective if it is used correctly, standardized and adapted to your needs.
