Acupress

/ˈækjuːprɛs/ noun

Definition

Pressure or massage applied to specific points on the body, similar to acupuncture but using finger pressure instead of needles.

Etymology

From Latin 'acus' (needle) + English 'press' (to apply pressure). This is a modern compound word created by health practitioners in the 20th century to describe a non-needle version of the traditional acupuncture technique. The term borrows the 'acu-' prefix from acupuncture while replacing puncture with pressure.

Kelly Says

Acupress is basically what you get when someone says 'acupuncture is great, but I'm needle-phobic'—it's the same ancient Chinese technique of hitting specific body points, just with fingers instead of needles. Same idea, less scary.

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