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What is the Difference Between Acupuncture and Reflexology?

  • By Joaquina Cante
acupuncture treatments
Reflexology and acupuncture have some similarities but they are also very different in their approach. See which one is better for you.

When you are stressed, that’s easy to know! Getting the right help, though, is not always the easiest to do with so many healing modalities available.  Some of the best stress relief has its origins in Chinese Medicine.  Other well known modalities include massage, acupuncture, and reflexology.  While these modalities work in slightly different ways, they operate on the same premise of Chinese Medicine using pressure points in the body.  But what is the difference between reflexology and Chinese Medicine? And which one is better?

Both acupuncture and reflexology work to achieve those same goals but go about it in different ways.  Let’s take a brief look at these two popular modalities.

What is Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) stimulates the body’s energy (qi) to improve circulation, reduce stress and improve movement.  Acupuncture dates back to over 5,000 years old in China and was used to treat many ailments. Acupuncture utilizes the insertion of needles at pressure points in the body and manipulating those areas to improve the body’s ability to heal and provide pain relief. 

Most acupuncture patients find the process very relaxing, and it is not uncommon for them to fall asleep.  Science has discovered the reason for this is because acupuncture works directly with the sympathetic nervous system by calming it down.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology also works to relieve stress, but it goes about it in a slightly different way. Reflexology works by relieving stress throughout the body by focusing on the hands and feet, and there are no needles involved.  There are pressure points in these areas that correspond to other body parts that are not normally reached with a normal massage. This is a great way for the practitioner to access a specific area that is giving you trouble without touching the area itself. This is done by stimulating the pressure point, similar to a massage. This practice is noninvasive, so some people may prefer this over needles.

Depending on your needs and your personal preferences, give one or both of these wonderfully relaxing modalities a try! 

As always, the treatments can only be as effective if your provider is skilled, educated, and experienced. Make sure you choose a provider for acupuncture or reflexology that has been trained extensively in that field and that it is someone you feel comfortable with.

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