砭 (biān) originally meant a sharpened stone tool used to lance abscesses or stimulate points — the prehistoric ancestor of the steel acupuncture needle.
灸 (jiǔ) is moxibustion: burning dried mugwort (
艾, ài) above the skin. Together,
砭灸 forms half of the classic four pillars of TCM along with
针 (zhēn, needling) and
药 (yào, herbal medicine).
