Moxibustion (Moxa)

Moxabustion (Moxa) is a form of heat therapy where the dried herb mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is burned either over or directly on acupuncture points on the body.  It is commonly used as an adjunct therapy to acupuncture, but is a powerful therapy used by many practitioners exclusively.

Benefits

It generates a warm sensation in the points and is very relaxing during the treatment.  After the treatment, many patients report feeling invigorated.

Uses

It is frequently used for disease prevention, to boost immune function, to tonify the body’s physiological systems, and to bring movement through cold or painful areas.

What is Mugwort?

Commonly known as mugwort, artemisia vulagris is one of several species in the genus Artemisia.  There are over 550 species of Artemisia alone. Mugwort itself is a weed, and flourishes on poor, dry, and sandy soil.  It can often be found on roadsides and in wastelands. It’s resiliency in thriving in difficult habitats in marginal soil may help explain its efficacy and therapeutic benefits in treatment.  It is most often used when patients are feeling fatigued or their physiological systems are lagging or hypo-functioning. This can often be called a deficient condition in Chinese medicine. Its use is often thought of as adding fuel to the body to give the systems a boost when they are lagging.  It assists the body to endure when it is struggling like its ability to grow in areas where other plants struggle to survive. The Chinese were not the only culture who have used moxa for millennia. Cultures all over the world have used mugwort root for various purposes, although its strengthening nature is the most common use.  The Roman soldiers lined the soles of their sandals with mugwort to reduce fatigue. Albertus Magnus, a German Catholic Dominican friar and bishop wrote that mugwort tied to a traveler’s leg would relieve weariness. There are countless other examples of its use in this same way.