Maxa

What is moxibustion used for?

In traditional Asian medicine, moxibustion is used on people who have a cold or stagnant condition. The burning of moxa is believed to expel cold and warm the meridians, which leads to smoother flow of blood and qi. In Western medicine, moxibustion has successfully been used to turn breech babies into a normal head-down position prior to childbirth. A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 found that up to 75% of women suffering from breech presentations before childbirth had fetuses that rotated to the normal position after receiving moxibustion at an acupuncture point on the Bladder meridian. Other studies have shown that moxibustion increases the movement of the fetus in pregnant women, and may reduce the symptoms of menstrual cramps when used in conjunction with traditional acupuncture.

Common Illnesses Treated Using Moxibustion

In general, moxibustion is often used as a complementary treatment along with acupuncture. Thus, those with chronic conditions and stress disorders are common candidates for moxibustion therapy. Listed below are some common conditions that can be healed using moxibustion.

· Chronic back pain, sports injuries, migraines, chronic fatigue and

arthritis/ rheumatism.

· Anxiety disorders, certain symptoms of depression

· Constipation, other digestive system disorders

· Diseases of the female reproductive system such as menstrual cramps,

irregular menstruation, infertility, correction of breech presentation of

fetus during late pregnancy

· Male health problems such as impotence, reduced sperm quality

· Relief from side effects of cancer or conventional cancer treatment

(not promoted as the sole treatment for cancer but to be used in

conjunction with conventional treatment)