Moxibustion, aka moxa, is a Chinese Medicine technique that involves the burning of a small, spongy herb, dried mugwort (artemisia vulgaris or artemisia argyi), on or near the surface of the skin. Mugwort is used because of its acrid, spicy odor, that is able to travel through all of the meridians, regulating Qi and blood, expelling cold, stimulating and strengthening the immune system and organs, and providing overall general good health. Moxibustion has been used to facilitate healing and health throughout Asia for thousands of years.
Moxibustion is usually done in conjunction with acupuncture treatments (the Chinese character for acupuncture means “acupuncture-moxibustion”), but it can be used as a stand-alone treatment. There are two types of moxibustion: indirect and direct. With indirect moxibustion, a moxa stick is lit on one and held close to the treatment area for a few minutes until the area turns red. Another form of indirect moxibustion uses both acupuncture needles and moxa. An acupuncture needle is inserted, moxa is attached to the spiral handle of the needle, and then lit. This method creates heat in the surrounding area. When the patient experiences relief, the moxa is extinguished and the needle is taken out. In direct (non-scarring) moxibustion, a moxa cone is placed on the skin at an acupuncture point, with the aid of a balm barrier to prevent burning, and is burned down close to the surface of the skin.
What can Moxibustion help with?
Research has shown that moxibustion helps with quite a few issues including pain relief, particularly for chronic pain conditions, TMJ problems, soft tissue injury, osteoarthritis, diarrhea, colitis, urinary incontinence and urinary retention, dysmenorrhea, asthma, herpes zoster, chronic kidney disease, it decreases side effects of many medications, increases white blood cells, produces infrared heat, increases hemoglobin, warms the body, and thus is great for boosting immune health! It also helps with malposition of fetus. In 1998, a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 75.4% of women suffering from breech presentations before childbirth had fetuses that rotated to the normal position after receiving moxibustion on the little toe.
Is Moxibustion Safe?
Moxibustion is considered a safe and effective therapy, and large numbers of clinical reports have indicated that it is effective and associated with few adverse events. However, there are some precautions and contraindications. The use of moxa is NOT allowed in the last stage of cancer, during a very high fever, or extreme fatigue. Diabetic patients are given extra precautions, and may be limited to where and how much moxa can be used, if it can be used at all. Though studies have shown moxa to help with high blood pressure, it can also exacerbate it, so if your pulse pressure is greater than 40mm Hg, moxa may be limited or not used at all.
Treatment Frequency
The term for moxibustion in Chinese comes from the character “fire” plus the character “enduring” or “long-lasting”. This implies that moxibustion must be applied for some length of time, both within a session and over the course of treatment. As with acupuncture, moxibustion builds upon the previous treatment; therefore, multiple sessions are needed for the desired results. Moxibustion is normally used during acupuncture treatments, but can be used as a stand alone therapy.
