Moxibustion treats and prevents diseases by applying heat to acupuncture points or certain locations of the body. Mpxibustion (Moxa + combustion) is a heat application treatment used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on the acupuncture points with the use of a herb called "Moxa".
One way of using moxa is to use a cigar-type moxa stick or moxa roll to warm the skin close to the acupuncture points. Moxa Therapy is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It originated alongside Acupuncture many thousands of years ago.
However, Moxa Therapy can also be used alone. Moxa is a Chinese herb that is burnt over Acupuncture points, and is a method of increasing heat in the body, increasing energy, and of eliminating cold and damp in the body.
Who should have Moxa Therapy?
It is useful in a number of conditions, and in a number of cases we advise its use following a screening test using the BEST system, which has indicated low energy in the meridians.
Moxa Therapy is the best way of increasing the amount of energy in the meridians, and hence the whole body.
In our industrialized world, we produce more and more toxic compounds
that find their way in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and what we put on our skin.
The body must rid itself of these dangerous substances
by transforming and then excreting them through the lungs, skin, kidneys and bowels.
Unfortunately not all of them get excreted efficiently,
some are circulated back into the bloodstream and others are stored in various body tissues such as fat tissue.
This is in part due to the increasing levels of toxins we are exposed to,
and may be exacerbated by a lack of nutrients needed to fuel the detoxification process.
Preventing illness before it turns into a disease is the core idea in Acupuncture and Moxibustion theory.
Ancient Chinese physicians observed the early stages of decline in health manifests in subtle symptoms.
The process spanning from being “healthy” to being “sick” or “weak” becomes a thin line and we believe in supporting the bodys own Immune System promting its own Resistance to outside influences.
The benefit of Moxibustion
Moxibustion in general has more or less the same efficacy as acupuncture.
However, medical experiments have shown that moxibustion exerts a much wider and stronger effect
on overall biochemical changes in the body than acupuncture. For example:
(1) It increases the production of white blood cells (or leucocytes) which destroy bacteria
and thereby contribute to our defense system.
The white blood cell count begins to increase immediately after direct moxibustion,
and reaches a peak 8 hours later.
This peak is maintained for 24 hours. The number remains elevated for four or five days after treatment.
The white blood cell count almost doubles with moxibustion, but when applied continuously for six weeks,
the increase is sustained for up to even three months after moxibustion is discontinued.
(2) It increases the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin.
For subjects who had an average hemoglobin ratio of 78% just before direct moxibustion, the ratio increased steadily to reach a peak of 90% in eight weeks. Applying direct moxibustion continuously for 15 weeks,
it takes 22 weeks for the red blood cell count to return to what it used to be before moxibustion.
It also shows a substantial increase in the following blood components:
the sedimentation rate of red blood cells, platelet count, the speed of blood coagulation,
blood calcium, blood glucose count and the capacity to produce antibodies.
(3) It improves the overall blood and lymph circulation. Due to rather intense heat of burning moxa on acupoints,
impulses from nerve endings of the skin cause the dilation of capillaries (the smallest vessels) to increase the blood and lymph circulation in the entire body. In fact, it is well known that the patient feels very warm,
relaxed and sleepy from this effect after moxibustion treatment.
People who suffer from constant circulation or "cold feeling" in the hands
and feet can greatly benefit from moxibustion.
(4) It is more effective for internal chronic ailments than acupuncture.
Because of stronger effects on the overall biochemical changes,
especially in blood components and immune system,
moxibustion is much more effective for various chronic diseases of internal organs.
(5) It is a safer treatment than acupuncture and can be used as a home therapy.
Since moxibustion is a safer method than acupuncture,
it has been widely used as a very handy and effective folk remedy for centuries in Asia.
You can use moxa not only for the treatment of specific ailments but also for continuously maintaining good health.
Williams Lake Acupuncture & Herbs Clinic
