Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort (moxa) near particular points on the body to deliver a deep penetrating yet soothing warmth to those areas.
The moxa is used to warm regions of the body where there is particular muscle tension or nerve sensitivity. Often these locations correspond to the acupoints used in Chinese medicine and here the heat is used to stimulate circulation thereby inducing a smoother flow of blood and Qi.
The moxa stick used to deliver the heat is held near to the target area (typically between one and two inches from the skin) and remains there until the patient feels the area is comfortably hot enough. The moxa is then held elsewhere and the process repeated often returning to previously heated areas to ‘top-up’ the sensation.
Applying heat to specific acupoints can deliver differing benefits depending on the points selected. For example, moxa to the sole of the foot just beneath the toes can help overcome fatigue and moxa to the sides of the hands can improve digestion