hydroacupuncture
|hy-dro-ac-u-punc-ture|
🇺🇸
/ˌhaɪdroʊækəˈpʌŋktʃɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˌhaɪdrəʊækəˈpʌŋ(k)tʃə/
water-assisted needling
Etymology
'hydroacupuncture' originates from combining Greek 'hydro-' and Latin 'acupunctura', specifically Greek 'hydro' (from ὕδωρ) meaning 'water' and Latin 'acupunctura' (from 'acus' + 'punctura') where 'acus' meant 'needle' and 'punctura' meant 'pricking/puncture'.
'hydroacupuncture' is a modern compound formed by joining the prefix 'hydro-' with the existing medical term 'acupuncture'; it arose in recent medical and complementary medicine usage rather than evolving through older historical stages.
Initially the elements meant 'water' and 'needle-pricking' respectively; the compound has retained this combined sense and specifically denotes use of water in or with acupuncture techniques.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a therapeutic technique combining hydrotherapy and acupuncture — using water in conjunction with acupuncture points, either by applying water externally to points or by injecting/infusing sterile water or fluid into acupuncture points (similar to aquapuncture).
The clinic offers hydroacupuncture as part of its multimodal approach to chronic pain management.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/29 17:25