Moxa, Moxa, Moxa

Winter weather finally hit San Diego this past week with cooler temperatures, lots of clouds, and lots of rain!  Naturally, when I came into the clinic on Tuesday, it was mighty chilly!  So I cranked up the heaters and the heat lamps to make sure the clinic was warm and toasty for my clients.

As each client came in, it became apparent that it was also going to be a moxa type of day.  Now, before I get into what moxa, or moxibustion, even is, let's talk about what it's used for in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.  To give you an idea, on Tuesday, my clients were coming in with anything from delayed menses, abdominal pain, lower back pain, a bone bruise, nasal congestion, or even just cold hands and feet.

 Moxa is primarily used to warm, circulate Qi and Blood, and even activate an acupuncture point. It's beneficial to use in areas of the body that are cold and stagnant, which often times are the causes for pain and some of the issues I listed above.  Pretty much, just like acupuncture, moxibustion can promote the healing response and the function of an acupoint. It can be used with acupuncture, or often times, by itself.

Now what exactly is moxa?  Moxa is made from the Chinese Herb, Ai Ye, or Mugwort, which functions by promoting Qi and Blood circulation, warming the channels, dispelling cold, and stopping pain.  It can be found in different forms, which dictates how and what it is used for.

Moxa can be packed into a pole that looks much like a cigar or made into a charcoal pole to form the smokeless variety.  Pole moxa is used for warming general areas and is less direct than rice grain moxa.  Rice grain moxa is more direct and specific when used on an acupuncture point.  It is made from the loose variety (pictured on the left).  Loose moxa can also be made into larger cones placed directly on the skin or placed directly on the shaft of a needle.  This leads us to needlehead moxa. The technique involves placing moxa directly onto the needle to allow the heat to vibrate into the body through the needle.   Loose moxa can be used, but there are also types of smokeless or formed moxa, such as the one pictured on the right.

I use all three forms in my practice and had the opportunity to use all three forms throughout the day on Tuesday.  I used pole moxa on the bruised shin bone.  For the other conditions, I used either direct moxa or needlehead moxa.  Here's a video of me making rice grain moxa:

 No matter what form is used, there's always a healing benefit because of it's warming and activating function.  It's really amazing stuff and feels incredible, too!

When I was living in New York City for acupuncture school, my first apartment was quite old and didn't have great insulation (or heating for that matter) against the frigid winter weather.  Pretty much, it was freezing even indoors!  I took out a moxa pole and just started applying it over certain acupuncture points and instantly felt so much warmer from the inside.  Moxa kept the cold out and it definitely helped me get through my first winter there.

Moxa is one of the many tools used by acupuncturists, especially this acupuncturist.

Have you experienced moxibustion or moxa for yourself?