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Many of us think of Chinese medicine as being synonymous with acupuncture, but even the Chinese term for acupuncture, "Zhen Jiu", literally translates into "Acupuncture & Moxibustion". Rarely in the medicine practiced in ancient China were acupuncture needles inserted without also treating patients with moxibustion, a therapy which involves the burning of specific herbs at acupuncture points. Today, moxibustion is frequently used alongside acupuncture for conditions ranging from bronchial asthma to arthritis with amazing success In moxibustion, the leaves of the Chinese herb mugwort (Artemesiae Vulgaris) are dried and then burned using one of several methods.

What is Moxibustion used for?

The moxa stick is primarily used to treat a deficiency of 'yang' energy in the body. It is yang energy that governs movement and warmth, and a deficiency of yang results in cold symptoms. The patient may feel cold, or may complain of cold hands and feet. For patients who are very weak and deficient, stick moxa is chosen as a primary treatment due to the fact that it actually adds "yang qi" to the body. Yang qi deficiency can also manifest in incontinence or loose stools, although these symptoms must be carefully differentiated by the practitioner as they may have other causes. Another popular use of stick moxa is in the turning of a breech baby. Stick moxa is applied to the outside edge of the little toe on both feet of the pregnant mother for 15 to 20 minutes a day. Best results are achieved when treatment starts in the 34th week of pregnancy. Moxibustion therapy should be discontinued once the baby turns. The stimulation of yang results in movement and prolonged use of moxibustion could cause the baby to continuously turn, once again moving into a breech position. Turning breech babies with moxibustion is a very common practice in Chinese medicine and success had been reported for centuries.

Heating Needle

Another form of moxibustion involves the 'heating needle'. In this method, a roll of dried mugwort is applied directly on the head of an acupuncture needle. The roll is then lit and burns slowly like an incense stick. Heat penetrates through the acupuncture needle and transfers deeply into the acupuncture point. This infusion of heat brings instant relief to rheumatic pain in the muscles and joints and is commonly used as a treatment for arthritic pain.

The Moxa Stick

The 'moxa stick' is the most common form in which moxibustion is used to promote healing. Here the dried mugwort is rolled up tightly and wrapped in paper forming a cigar-like stick. The moxa stick can be held in one place, rotated in circles, or 'pecked' in a motion similar to a sparrow pecking at food over the area of an acupuncture point. The practitioner places a finger next to the point being stimulated to maintain a comfortable level of heat and to guard the patient from the unlikely risk of burn. The moxa stick is held approximately a half inch from the skin, although this may vary from patient to patient. Moxa sticks can be used on their own to stimulate an acupuncture point or can be used on a point where an acupuncture needle has been inserted. This simultaneous use of moxibustion along with the acupuncture needle intensifies the therapeutic benefit of the given acupuncture point.

뜸 치료의 역사는 오랜 전통을 가지고 있으며, 뜸은 냉기로 인한 질병을 치료하는 좋은 치료법이자 냉기를 제거하여 건강을 유지하는 최고의 양생법이라 할 수 있습니다. 뜸 요법은 우리 몸속의 냉기를 제거하여 기와 혈의 흐름을 원활하게 해주고, 생명력의 원천인 양적인 에너지를 북돋아줌으로써 건강을 유지 시킵니다. 또한 면역기능을 활성화시켜 질병을 예방하는 데에도 탁월한 효과가 있습니다.

효능: 냉기를 제거하여 기혈을 순행케 하여 어혈을 풀어주고, 각종 통증을 완화시킨다. - 체온을 상승시켜서 자연 치유능력과 저항력 · 면역기능을 높이는 작용을 한다. - 허한 기를 보충하고 모세혈관을 확장시켜 혈색이 좋아지게 하고, 전신의 혈액순환을 촉진한다. - 소화기 계통에 작용하여 위나 장의 운동을 활성화 시키므로 식욕이 증진되며, 변비나 설사가 없어진다. - 체온의 상승으로 긴장이 완화되면 우울증 · 불면 · 조급증 · 등 정신적인 면에서 안정을 준다. - 몸속의 모든 노폐물과 독소를 분해하여 소변과 대변으로 배설하므로 독소나 노폐물의 제거에 탁월한 효과가 있다. - 여드름 · 기미 · 아토피 피부염 등에도 좋은 작용을 한다. - 오장육부의 흐름을 정상화시켜 인체의 균형을 잡아주고, 질병의 진행을 억제한다. - 인체의 경락에 작용하여 기의 흐름을 조절하여 질병을 근본적으로 치유하도록 도와준다.

Direct Moxa

'Direct moxa' is a method where the dried herb is rolled into a small cone (about the size of a rice grain) and burned directly on the skin. Vaseline may be spread onto the skin to ensure that the moxa cone will stick. The moxa cone is lit with the end of a burning incense stick, barely touching the top of the cone until it ignites. Tweezers are used to take the cone off when the heat becomes uncomfortable. Direct moxa is commonly used to stop heavy menstrual bleeding. Women suffering from excess bleeding will have moxa cones applied to a point at the corner of the nail of the big toe. The moxa is burned two thirds of the way down to avoid scarring or blistering the skin. This procedure is repeated with three to five cones per toe. Here again, in the vast majority of cases, the direct moxa treatment brings relief where Western techniques offer little help for patients. Traditional treatment of asthma requires that moxa cones be burnt directly on the upper back. In this treatment the moxa cones burn all the way down in order to actually cause some degree of scarring. Although effective, this treatment is rarely used in the West. Most practitioners choose instead to treat these points with stick moxa by using a pecking motion at specific points in the upper back and neck region. Moxibustion, like acupuncture, is a complex and varied therapy. Practitioners of Chinese medicine have a number of methods to choose from and will adopt the best methods to suit their individual style of practice.

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