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Acupressure Acupuncture

What’s better for pain?

Acupuncture can be fantastic at reducing certain types of pain, but not all (this is important to understand).  In over a decade I can I can tell you that acupressure and Tui-na medical massage can be far more effective in treating musculoskeletal problems. The main reasons are the effects acupuncture vs acupressure has on the nervous system.

Acupuncture has a more draining/reducing effect on the body. In Chinese medicine, it is considered to be more yin than yang and is very effective at downregulating the nervous system. Whereas acupressure is more Yang in nature and has more of a strengthening effect. In most musculoskeletal pain, such as back pain, areas of the body have become weakened/vulnerable and cannot transfer strength and power/energy Qi (pronounced chi). This can lead to pain and dysfunction throughout the whole body, and this is called Qi (pronounced chi) stagnation in Chinese medicine. Anyone who has been to see me will know I use a acupressure and Tui-na medical massage to get fast effective changes in pain and strength. When I demonstrate this can sometimes seem like magic. However, it comes down to is clinical experience and understanding what modality is best of certain conditions.

So what type of pain can acupuncture help with?

As stated above any hyperactivity in the body as acupuncture relaxes or downregulates nervous system.

Currently, acupuncture is used to treat conditions like:

  • Chronic migraines
  • IBS/or stomach conditions and pain associated with it
  • Stress-induced or anxiety type pain from too much tension in the body
  • Pains associated with panic attacks
  • Palpitations and perceived tightness in the chest area
  • Overexcited nerves that have become irritated like restless leg syndrome or trigeminal neuralgia

What type of pain can acupressure and Tui na medical massage help with?

First off you must assess the body to determine the cause of pain. You must test the body(ask it questions) and check for vulnerability/weakness. Pain or joint restriction/locking that suddenly develops has absolutely nothing to do with where the problem is. For example, your neck is sore and you struggle to turn your head from left to right. I’m going to tell you your neck is only part of a problem and there are going to be other areas that have compromised. So the mantra is test do not guess!