Moxibustion – Basic Theory

Traditional Chinese Medicine Method of Moxibustion

Moxibustion is the method of burning Mugwort (Ai Ye) or other herbs on, around, or above Acupuncture points. The leaves of the Moxa plant, as Mugwort is sometimes called, are usually dried in the sun, finely ground to a texture like wool or cotton, and then sifted until a fine, soft, and light green consistency is obtained. Moxa holds together well, burns evenly, and is relatively inexpensive. Moxa can be rolled into balls, shaped into cones, or purchased commercially in small or long rolls. The moxa balls and cones can be burned directly on the skin, or indirectly on a medium in between the Moxa and the skin. Small balls can also be used on the end of a needle as in the Warm needle techniques. Tiny pre-rolled Moxa or “Shish” Moxa can be purchased commercially, and is sometimes used at the end of a needle in place of loose Moxa. The longer moxa sticks, eight to ten (8-10) inch are usually used in a circular or “sparrow pecking” (rapidly moving the burning end near and far from the skin) motion around an Acupuncture point.

INDIRECT MOXIBUSTION
Practitioner places burning moxa wool on the top of the acupuncture needle. After the desired effect is achieved, the moxa is extinguished and the needle(s) removed. Indirect moxibustion is the more popular use of moxibustion because there is a much lower risk of pain or burning. Indirect moxa is probably the most commonly used as it can warm a greater area of the body with greater comfort. This too can be further broken down into the two most commonly used forms: warming needle and moxa pole. The moxa pole looks a lot like a cigar. It is lit at one end until it is smoldering hot, and then it is held over an acupuncture point or region of the body to warm it. In warming needle, an acupuncture needle is placed into a point on the body, and then a small ball of moxa is placed on the head of the needle. The moxa is then lit, so that the entire ball of moxa burns and smolders completely, thereby warming not only the surface of the skin below the moxa, but also the needle itself, and in turn the qi deep within the acupuncture point.

DIRECT MOXIBUSTION
A small, cone-shaped amount of moxa wool is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. Then it is extinguished or removed before it burns the skin. With direct moxibustion the patient will experience a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deep into the skin, but should not experience any pain, blistering or scarring. Direct moxa means the moxa is applied directly onto the body. This is further broken down into what is called the scarring and the non-scarring methods. Most practitioners these days don’t perform scarring moxa anymore. It is very strong and quite effective! The non-scarring is the more common direct moxa method, and involves a small bunch of moxa being put onto the body, usually in the shape of cone, and burned down until the warmth is felt by the patient, and then removed. Many rounds of this would be done until a very strong sense of heat was felt at the point.

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