Moxibustion

Moxibustion shares much of the same long history as acupuncture and is considered a primary treatment, not just as an adjunct to acupuncture. Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy that utilizes the herb mugwort (artemisia vulgaris, ai ye) to treat and prevent illness. Moxa is applied in many different forms, including burning the moxa directly onto the skin, indirectly above the skin, on top of a barrier (ginger, garlic, etc) and on top of needles. Therapeutically, moxibustion is used commonly for internal conditions such as abdominal disturbances, men and women’s health and for many musculoskeletal injuries such as tendinopathies and bursitis.

The following is a list of mechanisms that have been identified so far:

• Acupuncture promotes blood flow. This is significant because everything the body needs to heal is in the blood, including oxygen, nutrients we absorb from food, immune substances, hormones, analgesics (painkillers) and anti-inflammatories.
• Acupuncture stimulates the body’s built-in healing mechanisms. Acupuncture creates “micro traumas” that stimulate the body’s ability to spontaneously heal injuries to the tissue through nervous, immune and endocrine system activation.
• Acupuncture releases natural painkillers. Inserting a needle sends a signal through the nervous system to the brain, where chemicals such as endorphins, norepinephrine and enkephalin are released. Some of these substances are 10-200 times more potent than morphine!
• Acupuncture reduces both the intensity and perception of chronic pain. It does this through a process called “descending control normalization”, which involves the serotonergic nervous system.
• Acupuncture relaxes shortened muscles. This in turn releases pressure on joint structures and nerves, and promotes blood flow.
• Acupuncture reduces stress. This could be considered the most important systemic effect of acupuncture. Recent research suggests that acupuncture stimulates the release of oxytocin, a hormone and signaling substance that regulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Recent research has implicated impaired parasympathetic function in a wide range of autoimmune diseases, including arthritis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.