Moxibustion, an ancient and miraculous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy, uses ignited moxa (dried mugwort) to warm and stimulate specific acupoints to treat disease and maintain overall health.

Moxibustion has long been used to prevent stroke, lower blood sugar and blood pressure, and even remove warts and age spots without leaving scars. Is there any scientific basis for the efficacy of moxibustion? How should we employ it for the best effect?

In addition to historical archives in TCM classics, many scientific studies have explored and verified the efficacy of moxibustion in recent years.

A study published in the journal Cancer Medicine in 2021 confirmed that moxibustion can be used to improve the quality of life of cancer patients, especially for those with gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia and diarrhea.

According to a research report published in the “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” in May 2022, a randomized controlled trial of patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) found that the group with mild moxibustion treatment had a relief rate of 81.58 percent—significantly higher than that of the placebo group at 36.84 percent—with no reports of serious adverse reactions.

A meta-analysis, published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice in 2022, reviewed 11 randomized controlled trials involving 725 participants. The results showed that in comparing different active treatment methods (Western medicine, TCM prescription, acupuncture, and moxibustion), moxibustion treatment had a better curative effect on patients with IBS-D syndrome.

Another meta-analysis published in 2019 showed that moxibustion treatment had a more significant effect on knee osteoarthritis and fewer adverse reactions than Western medicine treatment.

Plentiful research confirms that moxibustion is an effective and safe complementary treatment that can help improve many common health problems.

Why is moxa able to effectively treat disease? Let’s first look at its principle of operation. Moxa has a strong dehumidification effect, and at the same time, has a “moisture finding” property.

Ancient armies used moxa as a means to find water during their military operations. They first dug a hole in the ground, placed a lump of ignited moxa into the hole, and then buried it with soil after burning. The smoke from the burnt moxa would find its way to underground moisture. Finding where the smoke re-emerged would reveal the location of water where they would then make wells for a new water supply.

TCM makes use of this characteristic of moxa to perform moxibustion on the acupuncture points of the body—allowing the gas from burnt moxa to enter the body and find where the moisture is. Under this combination of heat and smoke, the disease can be treated directly by removing the localized moisture.

According to TCM, many diseases are caused by forces in the environment, including wind, cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and fire, with dampness being one of the causative factors.

I personally am prone to moisture, so when I was learning to perform small lump moxibustion on myself, blisters would often appear. Then I performed moxibustion on the blisters as well, and the moisture symptom was alleviated.

There are many methods of performing moxibustion—including moxa stick, moxa pillar, moxa grain, and moxa box. Different methods are suitable for different acupuncture points and conditions. In general, the time and frequency of moxibustion should be determined according to the individual’s constitution and response.

According to TCM, the meridians are the energy channels of the human body, responsible for transporting qi (vital energy) and blood around the whole body. Qi and blood are the basic substances that constitute the body and maintain all physiological activities of it. The human body has 12 main meridians corresponding to 12 internal organs, and the internal organs are connected to the surface of the body through the meridians. Some points on the meridians that have special functions are called acupoints. Stimulating the corresponding acupoints through acupuncture and massage can treat diseases of the corresponding viscera.

In a previous article, I wrote about the precursors of stroke and how to prevent it. I mentioned that in the “Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion” written by Yang Jizhou, an acupuncturist in the Ming Dynasty, it was recorded that the precursor of stroke is manifested as a long-lasting soreness in the shin bone. He suggested carrying out immediate moxibustion treatment on the acupoints of the Zusanli and Juegu on both legs and then washing the moxibustion points with water boiled with peach leaves, willow leaves, raw onion, and mint to avoid potential stroke.

It’s worthwhile for older people to have this as a preventative treatment. In addition to preventing stroke, it also protects from other diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

The ancients said, “If you want to be safe, Sanli can’t be dry.” “Sanli” refers to the Zusanli acupoint, located about four finger widths below the outside of the knee. It is one of the most important health care points for the human body.

Regular moxibustion on the Zusanli can control blood pressure and blood sugar and prevent chronic diseases. Moxibustion on the Zusanli can also be performed to enhance immunity and help maintain longevity.

Modern medical freckle and age spot removal uses infrared laser technology by targeting them directly to burn them off. Chinese culture has effectively employed its own kind of technology for thousands of years—using moxibustion to stimulate acupuncture points for the treatment of many such skin problems.

Step 1: Take a little moxa and mold it into grains smaller than rice grains. Put the moxa grains on the area to be treated, then light it with incense, and let it burn by itself. It takes about 4 to 6 seconds to complete. Then throw away the ashes. After burning 3 rounds of moxa grains repeatedly, a small scar trace can be seen on the skin.

Step 2: Apply linseed oil, coconut oil, or wintergreen oil on the scars. The scars will fade after about two or three weeks, and the skin will return to normal after four or five weeks.

Moxibustion is a specialized technique that requires knowledge of acupuncture points, moxibustion materials, and proper application methods. These treatments should ideally be performed by a qualified TCM expert.

Common skin proliferative lesions such as warts, granulations, and polyps not only affect our appearance but sometimes cause pain or bleeding. Moxibustion can quickly remove these.

For warts and other lesions use the above method of burning moxa grains, and the same post-moxibustion treatment. These treatments should ideally be performed by a qualified TCM expert.

(xiaorui/Shutterstock)

While moxibustion is a safe and effective treatment, it is not suitable for everyone.

These people include:

1. People with high blood pressure.
   
2. People with heart disease.
   
3. Women during pregnancy.

*Some herbs mentioned in this article may be unfamiliar, but they are generally available in Asian supermarkets.

Note: Because different people have different constitutions, consulting your doctor or TCM experts is recommended.

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