Acupuncture is a treatment in which very thin needles are inserted into specific points on the body to relieve pain or improve health. It comes from traditional Chinese medicine.
From Latin 'acus' (needle) + 'punctura' (a pricking), formed in the 17th century by Western writers describing Chinese techniques. The name focuses on the method, not the original Chinese theory behind it.
Acupuncture’s English name is basically 'needle-pricking', which sounds simple compared to the complex energy ideas behind it. The practice is ancient, but the word itself is relatively modern, created to translate a very different medical worldview.
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