Moxibustion is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its goal is to bring the body into balance and ensure a consistent flow of Qi. While moxibustion is the technical term, it is often referred to simply as moxa, which references the herb being used. Moxa uses a dried herb called Ai Ye - 艾叶 in Chinese medicine, Artemisia Vulgaris in Latin, and commonly called mugwort. For simplicity, at Linden Acupuncture, we just call the whole process Moxa.
Moxa is a form of heat therapy that places dried, compressed, and cured mugwort on or near key points on the body. The moxa is lit and burned, allowing the herb to smolder and create warmth. The practitioner is careful not to burn the skin or allow the area to get uncomfortably hot. The smoldering Moxa creates a healing warmth that promotes energy flow. It warms not just the body but also the meridians. Because of its ability to dispel cold, it is very helpful in treating pain that worsens with exposure to cold. It also improves circulation and digestion as well as relieves menstrual pains and irregularities. Moxa can be used alone or as a companion to traditional acupuncture.
Moxibustion has many uses in both TCM and Western Medicine. It is used to treat arthritis, digestive problems, gynecological conditions, and protects against cold and flu strains. In Western medicine, moxibustion has been used to turn breech babies into a head-down position prior to childbirth, preventing the need for C-sections. That’s pretty amazing!
Here is what the research says:
“The roles of moxibustion can be broadly grouped into warm nourishing, warm dredging, and warm melting. Warm nourishing refers to the benefits of warming Yang, tonifying qi, nurturing blood, and relieving depletion; warm dredging refers to the functions of activating blood, dissolving stasis, promoting qi, dredging channels, and relieving pain; warm melting refers to the roles of reducing phlegm, eliminating stagnation, removing wind, dispelling dampness, drawing out poison, and purging heat.”
Burning Moxa produces a smoke and a pungent odor, which some people find pleasing. However, if you already know that some scents can be overwhelming to you, there are smokeless Moxa sticks that provide warmth without the smoke and aroma. You can ask for Moxa during am acupuncture treatment and your practitioner might be able to provide you with Moxa along with simple instructions on how to continue the treatment at home.
Reference: Deng H, Shen X. The Mechanism of Moxibustion: Ancient Theory and Modern rRsearch. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:379291. doi:10.1155/2013/379291
