Are there any precautions I should be aware of? Although moxibustion has been safely used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, it is not for everyone. Because it is used specifically for patients suffering from cold or stagnant constitutions, it should not be used on anyone diagnosed with too much heat.
Burning moxa also produces a great deal of smoke and a pungent odor. Patients with respiratory problems may request that their practitioner use smokeless moxa sticks as an alternative. Why do acupuncturists use mugwort? Why not use some other herb? Mugwort, also known as artemesia vulgaris or ai ye in Chinese, has a long history of use in folk medicine. This could explain its use in treating breech births and menstrual cramps.
What is moxibustion used for? In traditional Chinese medicine, moxibustion is used on people who have a cold or stagnant condition. The burning of moxa is believed to expel cold and warm the meridians, which leads to smoother flow of blood and qi. In Western medicine, moxibustion has successfully been used to turn breech babies into a normal head- down position prior to childbirth.
Other studies have shown that moxibustion increases the movement of the fetus in pregnant women, and may reduce the symptoms of menstrual cramps when used in conjunction with traditional acupuncture.
How does moxibustion work? Does it hurt? There are two types of moxibustion: direct and indirect. In direct moxibustion, a small, cone- shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. This type of moxibustion is further categorized into two types: scarring and non- scarring. With scarring moxibustion, the moxa is placed on a point, ignited, and allowed to remain onto the point until it burns out completely.
