21/01/2026
Which is BEST??? Acupuncture, Acupressure, or Acumassage??? And which should YOU choose???
It’s a good question!! And I’m often asked what the difference is between them...
I’m going to start though by explaining what’s the SAME about them, namely that they are ALL based on the same ‘map’ of the body, i.e. the Meridian System, which can be thought of as a network of channels that run through the myofascial web (the fascia being the inner skin that wraps around literally everything inside the body – e.g. bones, muscles, and organs).
Acupuncture involves using needles to ‘stimulate’ the acupoints on the Meridians – these points are where the lines come closest to the surface of the body and are therefore easier to access.
Acupressure, i.e. applying pressure, usually from the fingertips, to specific points, came BEFORE acupuncture (many people don’t know this!), and personally I prefer it, as it requires a different type of awareness and provides subtle feedback to the practitioner. There is no evidence to suggest either is more effective than the other though!
All treatments and therapies coming from the TCM framework, including acupressure and acupuncture, along with Moxabustion (burning dried herbs over the point, using the heat to stimulate weak Qi), shiatsu, TuiNa and a wide range of other treatment modalities, are aimed at correcting imbalances in the level and flow (i.e. quantity and speed) of Qi / energy in different parts of the body. There are many different ways to do that.
Knowledge of which acupoints are effective for what has arisen from thousands of years of study and practice in China, and more recently Japan and Germany, with consensus on which points to treat for which conditions.
Despite there being over 2,000 identified points in the body, most practitioners of acupressure or acupuncture (or acumassage!) use fewer than 100 regularly, and there are a core of 30–40 that have a multitude of uses.
Most commonly used acupoints are located where the meridians come nearer to the surface of the body, which can make it easier to influence Qi there. Manipulating the points, be it with finger pressure, needles or massage, can strengthen, disperse or calm the Qi (if weak, blocked or overactive).
The aim is to restore even flow, and bring the whole system into a state of harmonious equilibrium. This often involves working with two or more acupoints together, encouraging and moving Qi from one to another in order to balance the load between them. A bit like clearing a blocked section of pipe might require working from several different points or angles.
Acumassage, which can be thought of as ‘Accurate Massage’, is focussed on acupoints, meridian flow, fascia and the wider myofascial web, but rather than focussing purely on specific points, can address the whole Meridian line and wider areas of fascia around the points themselves. It uses both acupressure and massage techniques in order to effect change and to relieve pain and other symptoms.
Practitioners can provide acumassage treatments, but I am also a big fan of regular self-treatment and like to encourage others to self-treat with acumassage too. It can be really easy once you have a simple framework, a set of sequential steps, and easy-to-use protocols, both for general health and specific ailments.
So to return to the original question… WHICH IS BEST???
Truthfully it all rather depends on the practitioner! None of the treatments is superior to the others in terms of effectiveness, but there is great variety between practitioners, so always check out reviews, and perhaps try more than one practitioner / modality to compare how you find both the session itself, and the results.
Using needles is something you must be qualified for, and because the skin is pierced, requires medical insurance. It also requires a higher degree of accuracy. Acumassage is the least ‘precise’ and incredibly good for self-help, for beginners, or for practitioners of other modalities looking to add TCM to their toolkit.
I love giving acumassage, and also love teaching it to practitioners and to individuals, in person, AND via online consultations and training. I’m a big fan!
Which YOU choose is up to you though!! Which do you prefer the sound of???
