Moxibustion is the therapeutic application of heat from shouldering the medicinal herb Artemisia Voulgaris to improve blood circulation and activate the immune function.
Moxibustion (Moxa) is a treatment that when combined with traditional acupuncture may help improve blood circulation and activate the body’s immune function.
For “cold” and “deficiency” diseases Moxa is used traditionally to support the warming processes of the body and to strengthen energy. It is given in clinic as part of treatments and can be taken home for self-administered treatment such as when attempting to turn a breech baby.
Moxibustion is also used for orthopedic/musculoskeletal pain conditions and in sports recovery find out more here.
If you’d like more information on how our moxibustion acupuncture services can support you, call us on 021 081 59228 or make a booking online
Moxibustion (“Moxa”) is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that uses heat from the dried herb mugwort, known botanically as Artemisia vulgaris. The herb is burned close to the skin or above acupuncture points to gently warm the body.
The heat produced during treatment is used to stimulate circulation, encourage movement through the muscles and channels, and create a warming effect deep within the tissues. Moxa is commonly used alongside acupuncture, although it can also be applied on its own.
In traditional Chinese medicine, moxa is often chosen for patterns described as “cold” or “deficient”. These are Chinese medicine diagnostic terms used to describe symptoms such as:
Some conditions that may be considered to be “cold” and “deficient” include:
Treatment methods can include holding a warming moxa stick near the skin, heating acupuncture needles with moxa, or using small cones of compressed herb placed on top of specialised materials over acupuncture points. The sensation is usually deeply warming and relaxing without being painful.
Moxa can be taken to be performed at home between treatments in such cases as fertility support, injury treatment or when attempting to turn a breech baby. This is how to perform home moxibustion on the acupuncture points recommended. Remember to be safe and use your moxa stick in a well ventilated area.
Slide the moxa pole from its outer sleeve leaving the inner white paper wrapping intact, take a minute to light the end with a cigarette lighter (including the inner sheath of white paper). When your moxa stick smoldering with a red tip, slowly circulate the hot end over the acupuncture point in small circles, at a distance of 1-3 cm from the skin surface.
Let the warmth of the stick be your guide as to how close you go and how fast you circulate the burning end over the point; you are just trying to warm the area. Over a 10 -15 minute treatment period, the skin at the point will flush pink, but should not feel burnt or painful. When the 10 -15 minutes is over, wedge the hot end of your moxa stick into a small cup of rice to extinguish it by reducing oxygen exposure to the combusting herb, and leave it dry for your next treatment.
At The House Of Acupuncture, we endeavor to provide the highest quality acupuncture care for people engaged in their injury recovery. Our treatment is provided by our fully qualified and registered acupuncturist with ongoing training in musculoskeletal conditions, and over 9 years of experience treating pain and injury.
We’d love to help you, so please let us know if you have any questions or if you are ready, you can book an appointment online.
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