Acupuncture
Fine sterile needles are inserted at specific points and left in place for 20 to 30 minutes. The effect is on the nervous system: needling stimulates sensory nerves, prompts release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters, and changes how the brain processes pain. Acupuncture is used for chronic pain, headaches and migraine, stress, sleep, nausea and many other conditions, and has the broader evidence base of the two, including NICE recommendations for chronic pain and headache.
Cupping
Cups are applied to the skin with suction, either static or slid across the muscle. The effect is mechanical: lifting and stretching the skin and fascia, increasing blood flow, and easing tight tissue. It is used mainly for muscular pain and stiffness in the back, neck and shoulders and for recovery after exercise. Its evidence is narrower and mostly short-term.
Which to choose
For a tight, sore muscle group, cupping alone may be enough. For a chronic pain condition, headaches, stress or anything beyond the muscles, acupuncture is the more powerful tool. For neck and back pain, the combination of needling the affected points and cupping the surrounding muscle often works better than either alone, which is why TCM practitioners so often use both in one session.
What they have in common
Both are delivered by TCM-trained practitioners, both are low risk in trained hands, and both are non-pharmacological options for pain. Neither detoxifies or cures internal disease.
At Omnia
Our practitioners in Chiswick are trained in acupuncture, cupping and Tui Na massage, and will suggest the combination that fits your problem at the first visit. Sessions are 60 minutes, so there is time for more than one technique.