Q: Acupressure vs Acupuncture?

Photo by Mai Le.

Welcome to our new Q&A column! Drop your tricky, random, wacky or plain confusing health and wellness questions into the Suggest-O-Matic (or leave a comment) and our team will answer them.

Q I’m considering acupressure and acupuncture treatments for pain. What’s the difference between the two and why is it sometimes necessary to use the needles instead of just putting pressure on the skin? — Mike D, Rochester, NY

A There is a place for both acupressure and acupuncture in our practices considering that some patients have a deep-rooted fear of needles, and may need to start with simple acupressure sessions. However, using acupuncture needles allows us to penetrate to the root of the energy we are balancing in a more precise manner. By using the needles, we are able to manipulate energy and provide faster relief for patients. Acupressure can perform as effectively however and serves as a wonderful tool to have when needles aren’t available. Great results have been shown in treating sudden nausea or assisting to facilitate labor and birth. 

The sensation we reach for with our acupuncture needles is referred to as da qi. This sensation describes the arrival of qi on the needle at a precise location within the body. From a Western perspective, this culmination of local energy results from the release of certain neurochemicals.

For instance, insertion of the hair thin needles into a muscle spindle fiber evokes a specific location and depth based response. If someone suffers from muscle contracture, the acupuncturist attempts to achieve a depth at which the motor point will release, thus freeing up peripheral nerves. While it is possible to achieve this response via acupressure, needling these points deftly ensures a speedy recovery. In this case, acupressure would serve well adjunctively potentiating the effects of the needles within surrounding muscle tissue.

Like yin and yang, acupressure and acupuncture can be used to mutually accentuate the effects of one another. At times, one will be preferred over the other, yet the two similar modalities often more than not, serve to complement. 

Amy Chitwood, L.Ac. is a graduate of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. She is nationally board certified in Chinese herbal medicine and manages the Portland Acupuncture Blog.

Christine M. Dionese L.Ac. specializes in integrative medicine, medical journalism and was the VP of marketing at WellWire LLC. Visit her wellness and lifestyle blog, Reaching Beyond Now.