What is Moxa and How Can it Help Me?
Moxibustion (known as "Moxa" for short) is the utilization of the perennial herb Artemisia vulgaris also commonly known as mugwort or wormwood. The herb is dried, crushed and lit. When lit, it is held above the acupuncture point or channel to be warmed and the technique is called “indirect moxa.”
This is an external therapy unique to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The skin is warmed by the heat generated from the burning herb. It's an extremely relaxing treatment and is especially effective at relieving pain. Research has shown moxa to have strong anti inflammatory effects when used consistently. The use of moxibustion is thought to predate the use of acupuncture needles.
It can be used as a stand-alone therapy or used in combination with acupuncture.
The skin is warmed by the heat generated from the burning herb. It's an extremely relaxing treatment and is especially effective at relieving pain. Research has shown moxa to have strong anti inflammatory effects when used consistently.
The thermal effects from Moxa are akin to the near, mid and far infrared spectrum, similar to sunlight. It affects both the shallow and deep tissues of the skin. In TCM, moxibustion aims to stimulate the body's flow of vital energy (Qi) and remove toxins.
It could be argued that Moxa (Artemisia vulgaris) is one of the most important medicinal plant species due to its long history and effectiveness in the treatment of medical conditions. It possesses a broad spectrum of therapeutic effects properties including anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-humoral, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-spasmodic and anti-septic.
While moxa is generally known as a "go to" in relieving pain (especially of the menstrual type) it's been shown to be effective in treating many types of diseases.
The most common used indications of moxibustion therapy are:
malposition (breech baby presentation)
diarrhea and colitis
urinary incontinence and urinary retention
dysmenorrhea (painful periods) and PMS
osteoarthritis
temporomandibular joint disturbance syndrome
soft tissue injury
heel pain
asthma
cysts or other types of "accumulations" in the body
reducing muscle spasm
lowering blood pressure
preventing or slowing free radical damage to cells
protecting the liver
herpes zoster
Moxa can also be used to treat any weakness, fatigue and aging related problems.
What does it feel like?
Warm and relaxing. Your practitioner will communicate with you throughout the process while you are receiving a moxa treatment. You'll be asked to stay awake (because many people find it so relaxing they start to fall asleep) and to communicate with your practitioner as to when the heat therapy begins to feel hot. That is the signal for the practitioner to remove the moxa, allow the area to cool slightly then move on along the channel or the next acupuncture point being used.
Feel free to ask your practitioner about utilizing moxa for your condition. There are some contraindications for its use so it’s important to have a trained and licensed acupuncturist administering this type of treatment.
For more info on moxibustion and research as to its effectiveness, check out the articles below:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29803465/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789413/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7581088/