“Which is better acupuncture or acupressure?”

Acupuncture is far more effective.

They are equally good. It depends on what issue you have.

Both are good, but using needles on the acupoints definitely goes deeper to achieve maximum benefit. Acupressure is great when you have someone who is afraid of needles. I have had patients that did not want needles, only acupressure. They were happy with the results but when I asked them to try needles, they did and were surprised how practically painless it was.

Acupuncture is more effective. While acupressure can soothe muscles and tendons and many areas of the body can be easily accessed by the individual, acupuncture requires a more precise location, extensive training in physiology and use of appropriate acupuncture needle techniques and will elicit a cellular messaging complex to the brain, releasing various neurotransmitters which aid in healing.

I think it's a stronger way of stimulating acupuncture and acupressure points. However, it's much easier to use acupressure on yourself, especially if it is difficult to find an acupuncturist. Plus costs less.

They’re both different, even though along the same lines. It’s almost like acupressure is a gentler form. It’s more like massage. It triggers similar points, meridians, and Qi. I’m unsure as to which would be considered “better,” but it seems to me for getting results for healing, acupuncture would be more effective, since it immediately activated the Qi of the points needed to heal. Both have their place. ️

Acupuncture is the insertion of filiform needles (solid, not hollow) in acupuncture points and are retained for therapeutic treatment. Acupressure is massaging of the acupuncture points and are limited to the physical contact a practitioner has on the client. Personally, it’s easier for me to treat with acupuncture instead of acupressure because I can treat with multiple points whereas with acupressure I can only juggle with my two hands. Of course, certain conditions may be easier for acupressure. Double-check with your primary to see if alternative medicine (Traditional Chinese medicine) would be suitable for your condition and you can further discuss with a practitioner which method would be best.

Live Happy,

Michael

It really depends on the case but acupuncture would affect the point stronger and deeper but that is not always necessary to achieve the desired result. An evaluation is needed to advise on what you need.

Acupuncture vs. Acupressure: Which Is Best?
Acupuncture and acupressure can do a world of wonders for bodily problems and pain. Find out the difference between these two forms of complimentary medicine and which treatment is best for you.



Once regarded in American culture as somewhat of a joke, both acupuncture and acupressure have recently seen a surge in popularity and are becoming more and more common in the medical field each day. The ancient forms of medicine are now being used as a treatment for everything from allergies to bodily pain to stress. But what exactly are acupuncture and acupressure, and how are they different?
Acupressure and Acupuncture - Find Out The Difference
Acupressure and acupuncture are similar in a lot of ways. Both are considered integrative forms of medical therapy when used on their own to treat medical conditions and as complimentary medicine when they are used in combination with traditional medicine like drugs your doctor may prescribe. Both acupuncture and acupressure stem from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which is based on the thought that the body's vital energy flows through meridian points on the body that connect to various organs, carry energy and contribute to overall health.
Meanwhile, both acupressure and acupuncture stimulate each of 14 meridian points on the body, which believers of TCM say can relieve pain, treat body disorders and clear any blockage of life energy so as to restore the body’s yin and yang (also known as Chi or Qi).
The major difference between acupuncture and acupressure is that acupressure uses firm pressure and massage to stimulate the meridians (also called acupoints), while acupuncture uses hair-thin needles to stimulate those acupoints.
Both methods are virtually pain free and can be used to treat a number of ailments including allergies, anxiety, arthritis, nausea, headaches and migraines, depression and foot problems and pain like bunions, corns, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs and neuromas. It is said that the ancient methods have the ability to ease uncomfortable conditions by affecting hormone levels, the immune system and neurotransmitters in the body.

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Choosing whether to visit an acupressurist or an acupuncturist depends on the type of ailment you’re facing and what kind of healing you’re looking to achieve.
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• Acupressure: This treatment is fairly easy to learn and is a good choice for common ailments like headaches, migraines and nausea. In fact, many cancer patients turn to acupressure, as it can have a relieving effect on common side effects of chemotherapy, including nausea. The firm pressure applied during acupressure (similar to a Shiatsu massage) helps to stimulate endorphins, which increases blood flow and oxygen, relaxes your muscles, decreases pain and promotes healing. In addition to relieving pain, acupressure works to rebalance the body by strengthening the immune system and reducing stress and tension.
MORE: How Foot Acupressure Can Heal Your Body And Reduce Pain
• Acupuncture: This treatment takes much more time to learn than acupressure and therefore requires the expert skills of a licensed practitioner. Acupuncture is said to be more effective at treating many ailments than acupressure because it can be applied all over the body at once and thus facilitates a better flow of energy. Some ailments that can benefit from acupuncture treatment include osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, menstrual cramps, depression, insomnia, infertility and muscular conditions (back pain, neck pain, plantar fasciitis, etc). Acupuncture is commonly integrated with traditional Western medicine or chiropractic methods to achieve optimum results.

Depends on your condition you want to treat and your preferences (needle phobia?).  If you have a medical condition to treat, I would go with acupuncture.  If you want to treat yourself without professional help, acupressure helps in some degree.
Shuko Ward DAOM, LAc., Dipl.OM, FABORM

Acupressure is good when you don't have access to acupuncture...but, definitely, acupuncture is much more effective.
I hope that answers your question.

Mary Hills, DACM, LAc

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is stronger, but acupressure might be better in certain cases or for certain people - it just depends on the case.

Depending on the condition, each modality has advantages and disadvantages.

Acupuncture is stronger. Acupressure is a much weaker stimulation of the Qi/Energy/Life Force.

Acupuncture is better than acupressure, because acupuncture needles going to the body to stimulate the points and process healing. Acupressure only on the surface of the skin, stimulations are not strong enough. But everybody can do acupressure for someone or themselves, only acupuncturists can practice acupuncture, they have many years medical leaning and training.

Acupuncture is better.

I'm somewhat biased, but in my experience acupuncture outperforms acupressure. Time to treatment effect is shorter with needles and the overall treatment effect lasts longer with needles.

Both can be very effective when performed by an acupuncturist. However, which one is better for you depends on your tolerance of the needles and what is causing your complant.