Moxibustion Therapy
Moxibustion therapy is a method of preventing and treating diseases by warming the acupoints or affected areas with ignited moxa sticks or medicinal sticks to stimulate the skin with gentle heat.
This therapy was advocated and passed down by famous physicians in the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Fan Peilan, Chen Xiuyuan, and Ye Tianshi. The earliest recorded use of this therapy can be traced back to the early Ming Dynasty in Zhu Quan's "Shou Yu Shen Fang", but at that time, no medicinal powder was added to the moxa sticks. It was not until Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" and Yang Jizhou's "Complete Works of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" that medicinal powders such as musk, pangolin scales, and frankincense were added to the moxa wool. In modern times, this therapy has become a common method in acupuncture and moxibustion.
[Procedure]
1. Preparation
Moxa sticks are made by taking 24g of pure and soft moxa wool and spreading it evenly on a 26cm long and 20cm wide fine grass paper. Roll it into a cylindrical shape with a diameter of about 1.5cm, making sure it is tightly rolled. Wrap it with soft and loose but tough mulberry bark paper, and seal it with glue or paste.
Medicinal sticks are made by adding 6g of powdered cinnamon, dried ginger, cloves, duhuo, xixin, bai zhi, realgar, zedoary, myrrh, frankincense, and Sichuan pepper to each moxa stick. There are specialized moxa sticks available for clinical use.
2. Operation
- Gentle moxibustion: Light one end of the moxa stick, hold it about 2-3cm away from the skin, and slowly apply heat to the acupoint or affected area. It is recommended to create a warm sensation without causing pain. Generally, each acupoint is moxibusted for 5-7 minutes until the skin becomes slightly reddened. For patients with fainting, delayed local sensation, or children, the practitioner can place their middle and index fingers on both sides of the moxibustion site to gauge the heat, thereby adjusting the distance of moxibustion to avoid burning.
- Sparrow pecking moxibustion: The ignited moxa stick is not fixed at a certain distance from the skin but is moved up and down like a bird pecking.
- Rotary moxibustion: The ignited moxa stick is rotated back and forth on the skin. This method is used for larger areas of rheumatic pain, soft tissue injuries, and skin diseases.
[Treatable Conditions]
1. Malposition of fetus: Expose the "Zhi Yin" acupoint on both sides, ignite two moxa sticks, and place them on both sides of the "Zhi Yin" acupoint, about 1cm away from the skin. When the smoke smolders and the skin becomes slightly red or slightly painful, remove the moxa sticks for a moment and continue moxibustion. This can be done by the patient at home. Generally, it is performed 1-2 times a day, and 15 sessions make up one course of treatment. Afterward, the patient should see an obstetrics and gynecology specialist to assess the correction of fetal position.
2. Herpes zoster: Ignite a moxa stick and perform rotary moxibustion repeatedly in the area of the herpes zoster. Initially, the patient may feel a burning pain, but it will gradually decrease and turn into an itching sensation, indicating the end of treatment. Generally, it is performed once a day, and 10 sessions make up one course of treatment. Other treatment methods should be discontinued during this period. Moxibustion is performed on acupoints around the herpes zoster and the affected area.
[Precautions]
1. Although moxibustion therapy belongs to the category of moxibustion, it is performed at a distance from the skin. Therefore, it can be used even on the face, head, major blood vessels, and other areas. It has a wide range of clinical applications.
2. During moxibustion, care should be taken to avoid burning the skin with residual ash after ignition.
3. For patients with dull skin sensation or children, the practitioner should frequently place their finger on the moxibustion site to assess the heat sensation and adjust the distance of moxibustion to avoid burning.
Attached: Smokeless moxa sticks
With the continuous development of moxibustion therapy, modern practitioners have improved traditional moxa sticks and developed smokeless moxa sticks. Clinical observations have shown that smokeless moxa sticks not only have better therapeutic effects but also have the advantages of being smokeless and hygienic. This especially addresses the limitation of being unable to perform moxibustion due to the irritation caused by smoke in certain diseases, making it worth promoting and applying. The prescription for smokeless moxa sticks commonly used is as follows: 500g of mugwort leaves, 30g of camphor, 6g each of bai zhi, xixin, and qiang huo, and 40g of gold powder (or aluminum powder). The treatable conditions and precautions are the same as for moxibustion therapy with moxa sticks.
