The order of acupuncture and massage is

In most conventional treatment scenarios, it is recommended to have massage first and then acupuncture; however, this is by no means a standard answer. The specific order must be flexibly adjusted according to the purpose of treatment, physical condition, and treatment style. There are no rigid rules that must be followed.

Tell me about the young programmer I met at the outpatient clinic last week. He came in holding his neck. He said that after working overtime for three days, his shoulders and neck were so stiff that they felt like they were welded together, and it hurt even when he turned his head. The original appointment was for acupuncture first and then massage. When I touched his trapezius muscle, it was as hard as frozen pork belly. When I pressed it, he screamed so loudly that the whole floor could hear it. If I had directly injected the needle, let alone get angry, the needle would have to be bent by the tight muscles when it went in, and the pain would be gone away.

In fact, the conventional order is to press first and then acupuncture. The reason is very simple: the massage affects the superficial muscles, fascia and skin. First press for 10 to 15 minutes to loosen the tight muscle fibers and spread the adhesion nodules. The local blood circulation is opened. When the acupuncture is applied again, the needle feeling can easily follow the meridians. The patient can feel obvious soreness and swelling without repeated acupuncture, and the effect can be more than doubled. It is also very friendly to people who are afraid of needles. The muscles are relaxed and there is almost no pain when the needle pokes into the skin. Many people are confused: "Huh? It's just stuck? I'm not ready yet."

However, this cannot be said in vain. I know several old doctors who practice classic acupuncture and do not agree with this order at all. They think that massage will disrupt the original distribution of qi and blood on the body surface. The original diagnosis is migraine caused by stasis in the gallbladder meridian. If you rub it randomly, you will activate the qi and blood in the surrounding meridians. The original tenderness points and reaction points that you should find are no longer accurate, and the accuracy of acupuncture will naturally decrease. Their habit is to accurately differentiate the needle first, wait until the needle retention is finished, and then gently massage along the meridians a few times to consolidate the conduction, and the effect will be better.

There are also some special cases where the order is reversed. Last month, a young man sprained his ankle while playing basketball and limped in. His ankle was swollen like a steamed bun and he couldn't touch it. I definitely couldn't massage him at this time. He would jump when touched. I first pricked the nodule point on his opposite hand, and asked him to move his ankle slowly while performing the acupuncture. After five minutes, he said that the pain had subsided by 70%, and then I dared to gently massage the area around his ankle to reduce swelling and blood stasis.

I have been doing this for almost ten years, and I have never stuck to a certain order. When I meet an aunt who has been deficient in energy and blood all year round, her hands and feet are cold, and she feels dizzy even when she squats down or stands up. I usually rub the blood for three to five minutes to draw the energy and blood to the body surface, and then inject the needle, which rarely causes dizziness; if I encounter the kind of lady who has just finished an argument with someone, When he came in, his face was red and his flanks were throbbing with pain. I would first apply Taichong and Hegu to relieve fire. After he calmed down and his breathing became even, I would rub the liver-soothing spots on his flanks. Otherwise, his whole body would be tense to compete with you, and my hands would feel sore when I rubbed them, and he would not be able to let go at all.

Finally, let me mention a pitfall that everyone often steps into. No matter how the order is adjusted, do not rub the area where the needle has just been inserted, especially where there is a needle hole or where blood has been drained, for 24 hours. Otherwise, bruises and bruises will easily appear. It is not a big problem, but it looks scary and painful. Also, whether it is acupuncture or massage, you must find an institution and doctor with formal qualifications. Don't just go to a health center and dare to stick acupuncture and break your neck. It can cure any disease.

In fact, to put it bluntly, there is no point in worrying about the order. Preparation is basically a matter of food and rice. The order that suits you, makes you comfortable and has quick results is the best order.