Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort (moxa) on particular points on the body.
Moxibustion (often also called moxa for short) is a method of TCM that is often used together with acupuncture. Traditionally, rolls made of dried mugwort, which are similar to cigars, are lit to warm certain acupuncture points.
The heat penetrates the body through the acupuncture points, in this way moisture and cold are expelled and Qi moves. Moxibustion has a long tradition dating back thousands of years. For example, Huang Di Nei Jing, the book of the Yellow Emperor, recommends moxibustion for diseases caused by colds and moisture and for diseases of the so-called weakness type.
Today's main areas of application of moxibustion :
- chronic bronchitis
- chronic asthma
- depressed mood
- weakness after chronic diseases
- chronic diarrhea
- reaction to exhaustion