Introduction
Massage therapy and acupuncture are both popular means of relaxation, and in some cases, healing, which fall under the classification of alternative medicine. Alternative medicine engulfs practices that do not necessarily fall within the boundaries of conventional medicine. As both practices gain more scientific backing from Western medicine, creating treatment plans that focus more on complete homeostasis, rather than just treating symptoms.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for centuries by those that practice Eastern medicine, but it was not until the National Institutes of Health got involved in 1972 that acupuncture began to gain validity in the Western world as well. Acupuncture works by placing thin needles in one or more of 350 acupuncture points on the body. The way the needles work has been split between two areas of thought. One side claims that stimulating an acupuncture point rebalances the energy of the body. This is based off the belief that unbalanced energy forces create illness. The other side claims that acupuncture works by stimulating the tissues and nerves surrounding the acupuncture point. This stimulates the creation of the body's natural pain killers, as well as helps increase blood flow to the area.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy, like acupuncture, has been practiced for centuries in Eastern medicine but has gained popularity and validity in the Western world only within the last few decades. Massage works in many ways, depending on the modality being used and the goals of treatment. One way that massage works is through increasing blood flow to the muscles, which increases the availability of oxygen to the muscle tissue, as well as helps facilitate the removal of waste from the muscle tissue. Massage therapy can also increase flexibility and range of motion. Massage therapy can also relieve pain associated with tense muscles or knotted muscles. According to the Mayo Clinic, massage therapy cannot heal disease, but it may increase the effectiveness of the immune system to fight disease, and may also encourage production of the body's natural pain killing chemicals, such as endorphins.
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