What is Moxa ?
Moxabustion, or moxa for short, is an ancient form of heat therapy that is believed to predate acupuncture. Moxa uses the ground-up leaves of the mugwort plant. In the most common form of moxa, the leaves are rolled into cigar-like sticks, which are then burned and held over the body to stimulate certain acupuncture points. The heat never gets close enough to burn the skin, and most patients find the warmth very relaxing. Sometimes patients are taught how to do moxa on themselves at home as part of their treatment. Chinese studies show that moxa therapy increases digestive function, increases white blood count and platelets when burned over certain acupuncture points, and may have a positive effect on T-cells. In addition, moxa therapy is frequently used to turn breech babies, with a 75% success rate.
