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Acupuncture and massage therapy are both alternative healing therapies designed to restore the body or prolong good health. Both are healing practices that have been part of the healing therapy landscape for hundreds of years and are useful in healing a variety of conditions, but chiefly to reduce pain that can result from a variety of conditions.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture uses thin needles to penetrate the skin at variety of specific locations. These include more than 2,000 pressure points present on the body. The placement of the needles is designed to rebalance the body's qi, or energy. These needle placements are along pathways of energy--known as meridians--by which an acupuncture practitioner that can redirect energy flow. Think of meridians as various lines over the body by which qi travels freely when the body is healthy and in balance.

Acupuncturists believe symptoms such as pain and disease occur when a person's qi does not travel properly along these meridians. It is the acupuncturist's job to redirect this flow, which is meant to restore balance and reduce symptoms. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, acupuncture as a practice in the United States is most commonly used to treat back pain. Joint, neck and head pain also are often treated through acupuncture techniques. In China, acupuncture's country of origin, it often is used to treat many other ailments.The average acupuncture session lasts around 30 minutes, according to The Mayo Clinic. A person will share any aches, pains or conditions she is currently experiencing to the acupuncturist, who can then tailor the treatment session to the person's condition. While most people find the needle placement fairly painless, it is possible to feel a stinging sensation with needles that penetrate the skin more deeply.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy involves using a therapist's hands or even elbows to make contact with the skin to reduce pain, stress and anxiety while promoting general feelings of wellness. A massage therapist can rub, press or knead the skin and muscles in order for the person being massaged to experience relief. The therapist also can use directed breathing or additional tools such as vibration or hot stone therapies in order to achieve the desired results. There are a variety of massage therapy approaches, including sports, deep tissue, trigger point and reflexology. Each approach varies in regard to goals, but often include some combination of stress reduction, circulation improvement, boosted wellness and movement of bodily fluids. When used for clinical purposes, these approaches can offer a variety of results, including less pain, reduced muscle tightness, reduced scar tissue, improved flexibility and repaired tissues, muscles, tendons or ligaments.

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