Moxibustion

Moxa is used warm regions and acupuncture points with the intention of put heat and energy in to the body to aid the stimulate circulation and eliminate pathogens and disperse swelling and to facilitate the body to heal. Research, has show Mugwort (Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine by Clare Hanrahan) has shown that mugwort acts as an emmenagogue, meaning that it stimulates blood-flow in the pelvic area and uterus. It is claimed that moxibustion militates against cold and dampness in the body and can serve to turn breech babies.

Moxa roll

 Moxa On Needles Moxa Box
 Moxa Roll Moxa on needles Moxa Box

Moxa sticks are shaped like cigars and they contain tightly rolled dried leaves of the mugwort plant.


Medical historians believe that moxibustion pre-dated acupuncture, and needling came to supplement moxa after the 2nd century BC. Different schools of acupuncture use moxa in varying degrees. For example a 5-elements acupuncturist will use moxa directly on the skin, whilst a TCM-style practitioner will use rolls of moxa and hold them over the point treated. It can also be burnt atop a fine slice of ginger root to prevent scarring.[citation needed]

Practitioners may use acupuncture needles made of various materials in combination with moxa, depending on the direction of Qi flow they wish to stimulate.

It is commonly used for treating weakness, chronic fatigue, sensitivity to cold, poor circulation, poor digestion, allergy, certain types of arthritis, anemia, hemorrhage, high cholesterol, abnormal fetal circulation and so on. Because moxibustion can balance the immune function and delay the aging process, not only do many doctors of TCM apply moxibustion to treat patients, they also frequently and seasonally use this therapy for their own health maintenance and disease prevention.
The heat from burning moxa sticks when applied to a specific point can also be used to stimulate the baby's movements and encourage it to turn out of the breech position.

There are two types of moxibustion:.

  • In direct moxibustion, a small, cone-shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. This type of moxibustion is further categorized into two types:
    • scarring moxibustion, the moxa is placed on a acupuncture point, lit, and allowed to remain burning on the point until it burns out completely. This may lead to scarring, blisters and scarring after healing.
    • non-scarring moxibustion, the moxa is placed on the acupuncture point and lit, but is extinguished or removed before it burns the skin. The patient will experience a pleasant warming sensation that penetrates deep into the body. If the body requires more heat I use a number of cones in that area.
  • Indirect moxibustion is currently the more popular form of care because there is a much lower risk of pain or burning. In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a moxa stick and holds it close to the area being treated for several minutes until the area turns red or the client says hot. A moxa box can also be used to warm up large areas such as stomach or lower backs, instead of tightly press mugwort moxa Punk is used which is loose this is placed in the box and lit, much better than a hot water bottle for period pains. Another form of indirect moxibustion uses both acupuncture needles and moxa. A needle is inserted into a acupuncture point and retained. The tip of the needle is then wrapped in moxa and ignited, generating heat to the point and the surrounding area. After the desired effect is achieved, the moxa is extinguished and the needle(s) removed.


Studies have shown

In traditional Chinese medicine, moxibustion is used on people who have a cold or stagnant condition, for muscular condition it’s like saying a chill in the muscle. Using moxa is believed to expel cold and warm the meridians, which leads to smoother flow of blood and Qi. Western medicine has discovered that moxibustion successfully puts breech babies into a normal head-down position preventing breech births. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 found that up to 75% of women suffering from breech presentations before childbirth had babies rotate to the normal position after receiving moxibustion. Other studies have shown that moxibustion increases the movement of the fetus in pregnant women, and may reduce the symptoms of menstrual cramps when used in conjunction with traditional acupuncture.

What Moxibustion has treated
Moxibustion therapy is useful for many disorders including:

  • Digestive disorders such as diarrhea or food stagnation
  • Painful periods
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Poor concentration or memory
  • Sports injuries
  • Frozen shoulders
  • Pain that worsens with cold
  • Colds and flu
  • Muscle stiffness due to cold( chill in the muscle)

 

There point on the sacrum, when you apply moxa treatment to will send a warm sensation right down the leg, i have not seen or heard of any type of heat treatment do this.

A good way to tell if moxibustion will be good for you is that if you use heat from a lamp, hot water bottle, heat pack to make a pain feel better then moxa is right for you. Most therapists that have studies oriental massage will do this therapy, if you want to use moxa for a more therapeutic use look for an acupuncturist