Your location: Essential Massage Therapy Home > Complimentary Therapies > Moxibustion
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb. The purpose of moxibustion, as with most forms of traditional Chinese medicine, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health.
There are two types of moxibustion: direct and indirect.
direct moxibustion: sticky back applicator placed on an accupunture point, the moxi herb is on top of the applicator, and is burned so that the heat may penetrate through the skin and into the energy channel. This direct heat may, or may not leave a scar.
Indirect moxibustion: the more popular of the two, the practitioner lights the end of a long stick of moxa (similar to a cigar), this lit stick is held close to the area of treatment for several minutes until there is redenning on the surface of the skin. Another form of the indirect approach uses accupuncture, the needle which is wrapped on one end with moxa is inserted into the energy point, and then lit so as to transmit the heat directly down the shaft of the needle and into the energy point.
Used for colds or stagnant conditions. Moxibustion use leads to smoother flow of blood and qi. In Western medicine, moxibustion has successfully been used to turn breech babies into a normal head-down position prior to childbirth. Moxibustion also increases the movement of the fetus in pregnant women, and may reduce the symptoms of menstrual cramps when used in conjunction with traditional acupuncture.