My last entry continued the discussion regarding what to do if the acupuncture treatments don’t seem to be giving satisfactory results by introducing cupping.

this entry will discuss moxibustion as a possible next step.

 

moxibustion is the burning of an herb, artemisia vulgaris, over an acupoint or specific areas of the body.  the herb is mugwort and is a species of chrysanthemum.  the moxa comes in different forms.  the most basic is called ‘wool’ and is simply made of the crushed herb.  it resembles light green cotton batting in this form.  the appropriate amount is torn off and formed into cones.

the next most common form is as a stick.  the crushed ‘wool’ is rolled into paper, resembling a cigar (but is technically more like a cigarette).  the end is burned and as it embers it releases heat.

another form is called mini moxa rolls.  these are cylinders that are placed onto the handles of inserted needles and are then burned, introducing a penetrating heat along the needle shaft.

other forms include smokeless sticks, mini sticks, mini sticks with adhesive, etc.

the functions of the moxa are to invigorate blood circulation and thereby relieve pain, and also to calm a restless fetus in the case of threatened miscarriage.  i’ll talk about another interesting use of moxa a little bit later.

 

basically, the heat of the moxa (as well as the energetic properties of the herb itself) invigorate blood flow.  remember that pain is due to a stasis or blockage of the smooth flow of blood and/or qi.  by freeing up the flow, pain is relieved.

 

although moxa is used primarily for pain, it can also be used for many other conditions like diarrhea, menstrual cramps, frequent urination, borborygmus (gurgling gut), as well as stopping excessive menstrual bleeding.

perhaps the most interesting use of moxa is turning a breech baby.  yes, if you hold moxa over the point UB-67 it will increase fetal movement to the point that if your baby is in a breech presentation, it may correct itself.  the downside is that if your baby is already in the correct presentation, it may flip to a breech, so be careful.  please don’t do this procedure at home unless you know what you’re doing.

 

thanks!