Moxibustion is a type of traditional Chinese medicine that involves burning moxa (ground mugwort leaves), on or near the body’s meridians and acupuncture points. Moxibustion can dredge meridians and the heat helps stimulate the points and improves the flow of qi (energy) and blood. This increased qi circulation makes the point much more receptive to needling or can be used as a stand-alone treatment with no needling and can help with a range of health issues from chronic pain to digestive troubles
There are several methods for applying and with direct moxibustion, the moxa cone rests on the body at the treatment point. The practitioner lights the cone and lets it burn slowly down and once the patient begins to feel heat, the practitioner removes it.
Moxa can also be placed on the acupuncture needle and ignited. It burns on the needle until it’s extinguished. The heat travels through the needle to the acupuncture point.
Indirect moxibustion doesn’t actually touch the skin. Instead, the practitioner will hold it about an inch from the body and then remove it once the skin becomes red and warm and will repeat this action
Moxibustion for breech baby
Moxibustion is used in Chinese medicine as a way to help with breech position in child birth when a baby is positioned feet first in the birth canal making the birthing process more difficult. It is usually done between 34 to 36 weeks of pregnancy by using indirect moxa method where a moxa stick is moved back and forth over a point called “Extremity of yin” Bladder 67
It is important that this is done by a trained licensed practitioner for safety and effectiveness and in most cases once Mum has been shown how it is done by a professional then the procedure can be done at home
