Practitioners use moxa on meridian points with the intention to stimulate circulation through the points to induce a better blood and “qi” flowing movement.
Moxibustion (moxa) can add new energy to the body and can treat both excessive and insufficient conditions.
It is claimed that moxibustion(moxa) softens cold and fluid in the body and is effective in the treatment of chronic problems, “deficient disorders” (weakness) and anti-aging.
Acupuncture needles can be used in combination with moxa, that kind of therapy is to stimulate certain acupoints on the human body to activate the meridians and collaterals and regulate the function of the interal organs,qi and blood. Experiments of modern medicine have proved that acupuncture and moxibustion can strengthen the central nervous system, reinforcing especially the action of the sympathetic nervous system and cerebral cortex, which control all the tissues and organs of human body. This also explains that the therapy is efficient to certain extent of dealing with pain.
There are different methods of moxibustion. Three of them are direct scars, direct non-scars and indirect moxibustion.
- Direct scar formation: a small cone of moxa is placed on the skin at an acupuncture point and burned to the skin blisters, which then become scarring after healing.
- Immediate non-scarring moxibustion: one removes the burning moxa before the skin burns to a scar.
- Indirect moxibustion: one keeps a cigar made of moxa near the acupuncture point to heat the skin, or holds it on an acupuncture needle inserted into the skin to heat the needle. Or to put the heated moxa section in a specially made bamboo box and put bamboo box on the place of acupoint, then indirectly heat the acupoint.
