Miracles of Moxibustion The art of moxibustion, which plays an important role in the traditional medicine of Asia, is relatively unknown here in the U.S. Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which the dried herb "mugwort" (artemisia vulgaris) is burned near the surface of the skin in order to stimulate specific acupuncture points and to trigger natural healing responses in the body. The use of moxibustion is at least as old as acupuncture, with records of the practice dating back many centuries B.C. In Japan, scientists have studied moxibustion and have found that the infrared radiation from burning moxibustion is very similar to that of the human body. The result is that the heat from moxibustion penetrates deeply into the body, giving a warming effect, which lasts for several days after the treatment. This kind of stimulation, at specific points, can dramatically boost the body's immunity and trigger other profound effects, which include a reduction in blood coagulation time and an increase in adrenal activity. In clinical practice, I have found that moxibustion lifts the spirits and is very effective for many types of mild depression or fatigue. And for stiff or painful muscles and joints, acupuncture combined with moxibustion is one of the best treatments available. In Japan, the "renowned moxibustion points" are specific points on the body, which trigger a healing response for specific conditions. One of the more famous of these points is on the little toe, lateral to the lower corner of the toenail. Moxibustion applied to this point is used in the last stages of pregnancy to correct fetal malpresentation (breech position) and to induce labor. This particular point is so famous throughout Asia that in 1995, a team of western trained scientists traveled to China in order to performed a randomized, controlled, clinical study involving 260 pregnant women with fetal malpresentation. The results shocked the western scientific community. 75.4% of the breech positioned fetuses were corrected before labor using this simple and inexpensive method, thus saving many of these women from the pain and complications of Caesarean sections. This study was subsequently published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which is considered the "gold standard" of reputable medical research in the West. Moxibustion is a powerful form of therapy. When applied correctly, it can stimulate the body's own natural healing response. Also, moxibustion is an effective and inexpensive form of home therapy, which is easy to learn from an acupuncturist who has studied Japanese moxibustion therapy. |
