Moxibustion

Moxibustion is the use of the herb “Mugwort” (Ai Ye in Chinese, Artemisia vulgaris in Latin) for healing purposes.  Moxibustion (or, simply Moxa), can be used as a self-help remedy for a variety of conditions and is used within the clinics of many acupuncturists as well.

Generally speaking, moxa is used for conditions under the cold and/or stagnant principles in Chinese Medicine.  For the public this simply means deficient/weak and/or painful issues.  Some examples of deficiency conditions where moxa is helpful are general immune system strengthening (people who get sick often), chronic low energy, chronic fatique, cold hands/feet, etc.  Some painful conditions where moxa is helpful are menstrual cramps, arthritis, muscle pain anywhere in the body, and more.  There is one other common usage that people are often surprised to hear about and that is its use in the turning of a breeched baby.  The acupuncture point, UB 67, when used with moxa will correct a breech presentation over two-thirds of the time with no other interventions.