Moxibustion is the ancient medical art of heat therapy. It is applied over the body’s meridians to treat disease and strengthen the body’s health physiology. While not well known here in the West it is essential to East Asian Medicine. We know this because the common Chinese character for acupuncture is zhenjiu, or needle moxa.
Moxa is the wool part of the plant mugwort. It is harvested, processed and then aged for better medicinal qualities. It is then burned indirectly or directly over the patients body to move qi and transform fluids. The transformation of fluids has a major beneficial impact to the body’s physiology. By breaking up and moving stagnant fluids, healthy fluids are allowed to come in to the damaged area and clean up. The body is a dynamic system of fluid movement and by clearing these pathways we can reduce inflammation.
Western medicine would call it a heat therapy alongside: infrared saunas, hydrocollator packs, hot tubs and heating pads. However, moxibustion is more affordable while still able to produce deep, penetrating heat resulting in the desired therapeutic effect.