YOUR MOXA TREATMENT 

When appropriate to the diagnosis and treatment strategy and deemed suitable for the patient, moxibustion is another Chinese Medicine modality that can be used either as a stand-alone treatment to relieve muscle pain and tightness in particular and more generally, several other conditions, or it can be incorporated into the acupuncture treatment during the same clinic session to compliment the needles' work and increase effectiveness of the treatment. 

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WHAT IS MOXIBUSTION? 

Originated in China over 2,500 years ago, moxibustion or moxa therapy is a form of heat therapy which consists in warming specific acupuncture points or parts of meridian pathways through the burning of medicinal herbs in order to warm and heal a variety of health concerns, including arthritis, reproductive issues and digestive disorders. 

The herb mostly used for moxibustion is Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), a powerful medicinal herb with a long history both in China and the West, and frequent use in folk remedies, particularly to ease stomach pain, menstrual irregularities, anxiety and itchy skin.

Moxa is understood within a modern Western medical framework to be a natural diuretic, a moderate stimulant, and emmenagogue improving blood flow in the pelvic area (especially the uterus). 

When it is burned for therapeutic use, mugwort produces a strong aromatic odor similar to that of burning sage. 

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Moxibustion can be performed either :

• directly to the skin with small cones of dried mugwort placed on the skin and usually burnt about 2/3 down before being removed

• or indirectly:  with a cigar -shaped stick of compressed dried mugwort called a moxa stick.

The smoking end of the moxa stick is held close above the surface of the skin, with sometimes slices of ginger or rock salt used as buffers between the moxa stick and the skin, until the area reddens and becomes suffused with a soothing warmth. 

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In my practice, I only use this method of indirect moxibustion, most often as an adjunct to regular acupuncture sessions which amplifies the healing effects of acupuncture. 

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From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, moxibustion helps dispel certain pathogenic factors such as Wind, Cold or Damp responsible for pain and dysfunction in certain areas which often will feel worse in cold or damp environments, warms the channels  and therefore increases the flow of Blood and Qi flowing along the channel pathways around the body, and helps build Qi and Blood. 

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According to a history from ancient China and Japan, the daily usage of moxibustion on an acupuncture point called Stomach 36 (Zu San Li) is the key to vitality and longevity !

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Recent medical research shows that  moxa therapy promotes blood and lymph circulation, improves cell and enzyme activities, further adjusts the body's immune and neurological functions, and recent clinical trials tend to confirm that moxibustion is an interesting therapy to assist in the treatment of a variety of conditions, among others: 

 

• muscle stiffness

• menstrual cramps

• digestive problems ( IBS, colitis, constipation ...)

• arthritis (osteoarthritis, gout...)

• pain,  especially in 'Cold' patterns where the pain naturally feels better with the application of heat

• fluid retention

• hypothyroidism 

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