Moxibustion is literally defined as “burning of mugwort”. The herb Artemesia Vulgaris (Mugwort) is a common plant and grows throughout the world. In Chinese and other cultures, it has been used for medicinal purposes. In the Chinese language, the actual word for acupuncture is zhen jiu meaning acupuncture point needling and applying to acupuncture points the burning of mugwort.

What are the procedures in using moxibustion?

Moxa can be used in a variety of ways. Lighting the moxa stick and holding it close over the chosen acupuncture point is the most common method. The practitioner slowly lowers and raises the stick enabling soothing warmth to enter the area. One other process is to apply physically small parts of the moxa stick onto the top end of the needles. This allows a deeper kind of heat penetration that specifically goes into the acupoint. Moxibustion may also be placed onto thin slices of ginger and directly placed on the skin.

Where is the mugwort herb used in moxibustion grown?

The mugwort herb is grown commercially in China, it is harvested and dried into a fluff and sometimes rolled into cigar shaped sticks to be used by acupuncturists.

One common use of moxibustion therapy is to boost flow of blood in the body.

You would know how therapeutic administering moxibustion would be if you think that just by plainly rubbing your hand on a sore knee tend to improve the flow of blood to the affected area and generate some form of pain relief.

A lot of patients have reported feeling the heat very deeply penetrating their bodies without their skin being burned. The healing effects and heat of moxibustion is far superior to the heat generated by infra red lamps.

Can arthritis be cured by moxibustion?

According to Chinese medicine, arthritis is caused by a buildup of damp and cold from the external environment that has settled into the joints. This is the reason some arthritis patients always state that their stiffness and pain worsen when it gets cold. This is where moxibustion can be an ideal treatment as it literally heats the buildup of cold helping eliminate it.

Can moxibustion treat depletion, weakness, and tiredness?

One of the basic diagnostic rules of Chinese medicine depends on whether the patient’s condition is one of excess or deficiency. If you can conceive in your mind of a person who has been doing stressful and difficult work, working long hours, and living off stimulants to get him through the day, he will eventually begin to feel tired, weak, and even suffer from adrenal exhaustion. In traditional diagnostic thought, this is deficiency of energy. Because of its heating nature, moxibustion is regarded as a yang tonic and can supplement the weakened energetic state.

Is moxibustion more effective than acupuncture?

There are a lot of health problems in which moxibustion is used and some even regard it as being superior to standalone acupuncture needle therapy. The fact is, in traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying, “A physician who utilizes needles alone and avoids mugwort burning, is only half a physician”. In modern day China, the hospitals have special smoke extractors set up in the wards to contend with the excessive smoke that moxibustion therapy generates.

Here are some of the problems in which moxibustion can be especially effective:

• Ankylosing spondylosis
• Ulcerative colitis
• Arthritis
• In sports medicine, boosting of Athletic performance
• Tiredness
• Herniated spinal disks
• Breech baby
• Stroke recovery
• Sports injuries

Moxibustion’s actual process on its ability to turn breech babies has been studied.

Various studies have demonstrated the therapy’s success rate in this regard. The studies have confirmed that moxibustion is what provides the outcome compared to acupuncture needling therapy.

Moxibustion is used on the zhiyin or Bladder 67 acupuncture point, for breech baby conditions.

Moxibustion and its significance in stem cell research

Chendu University has studied and demonstrated that moxibustion and acupuncture could boost the production of neural stem cells, but only the therapy of moxibustion could cause to happen the differentiation of neural stem cells into the neuron.

This shows the synergistic impact of combining moxibustion with acupuncture in Bellmore.

Could a person just have moxibustion therapy and not undergo needles?
Some patients who are scared of needles regularly get treated at acupuncture clinics across the US and choose to have only moxibustion. Other patients are taught by their practitioners how to perform moxibustion on their family members and on themselves so they can do it at home.