Acupuncture and reflexology have both become increasingly popular in recent years as more people turn to alternative therapies to ease health concerns.
Given the two practices are derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they are often confused.
In this post, we explain what they are, their differences, and how each can help with different ailments.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture involves the gentle insertion of hair-thin needles into specific points across the body.
It is believed that when the flow of life energy, Qi, becomes blocked people can become unwell. However, by activating acupoints across the body, the flow can be restored along with an individual’s health and well-being.
Many people use acupuncture to help relieve and manage the symptoms of chronic health issues, be they mental and physical.
What is reflexology?
Reflexology is a non-invasive type of massage therapy that involves applying pressure to specific points on the feet, hands and ears.
Like acupuncture, it is based on TCM and works to restore the natural flow of Qi around the body.
It is believed that reflexology can help to promote deep relaxation and alleviate any stress a person is feeling.
Each area targeted using reflexology is thought to correspond with a different body part, which means practitioners can help access sensitive areas without touching them directly.
What is the difference between acupuncture and reflexology?
In many ways, acupuncture and reflexology are similar in that they are both derived from the teachings of TCM.
However, the key differences are that acupuncture uses hair-thin needles to stimulate acupoints across the body, whereas reflexology uses massage and focuses primarily on the feet, hands and ears.
Is acupuncture or reflexology more effective?
Both acupuncture and reflexology can be incredibly effective in their own right and, when used together, to improve your overall health and well-being.
Because both practices are influenced by the teachings of TCM, you will generally find a lot of overlap in how practitioners approach their patients.
Patients struggling with specific issues like localised pain or infertility will often turn to acupuncture because practitioners can stimulate specific acupoints to achieve the desired outcome.
Alternatively, reflexology is regularly used by patients looking to focus on broader health goals, such as rebalancing their bodies and improving their natural healing response.
We believe acupuncture and reflexology have their own unique benefits and would recommend trying them both to see which suits you best.
At Acupuncture That Works, we are proud to offer Acupuncture and Chinese Medical Massage Therapies to patients local to our clinic.
Feel free to visit our website to learn more, or if you have any questions about which treatment would be best to integrate into your health and well-being regime, please get in touch with us today on 0800 051 76 88.
