About
The Chinese word **针灸 (zhēnjiǔ)**, meaning "acupuncture and moxibustion," is a **coordinating compound** formed by combining two characters representing two distinct but closely related traditional therapeutic techniques. The first character, **针 (zhēn)**, means "needle" and refers specifically to the practice of acupuncture, which involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the body. The second character, **灸 (jiǔ)**, means "moxibustion," a therapy that involves burning dried mugwort (moxa) on or near the skin to apply heat to these same points. Together, they form a single, unified concept that encompasses the primary branch of Chinese medicine that stimulates acupuncture points, with the pairing demonstrating how these two methods are historically and practically complementary.