Moxibustion : Treatment, Procedure, Cost And Side Effects

Moxibustion is an alternative therapy based on the Chinese traditional therapies wherein the main objective is to enhance the body health by strengthening the blood flow, by stimulating the energy Chi flow in the body and thereby helping in increase of the flow of the body vital energy. According to the Chinese traditional therapies beliefs the body problems are generally caused due to the blockade of the flow of the body energy or Chi. Thus in the process of Moxibustion, specific herbs like mug wart are heated and the heat is applied on some specific points on the body so as to facilitating in the healing process by stimulating the Chi energy in the body. Problems like Arthritis back pain, mensuration problems, headaches, migraines, ulcers, digestive problems etc. are assumed to be treated with this therapy.

Various scientific research have proved that through the Moxibustion therapy there has been reported to have seen increase in red blood cells , white blood cells and platelets among the patients undergoing these therapies. It has also been reported in few patients that this therapy has proven them to improve oxygen intake and has helped in soothing body sensation.

Moxibustion process is classified as direct and indirect process. In the indirect Moxibustion process an herb which is created from herbs of mugwort and leaves is placed on an acupuncture device needle and is burned. The Moxibustion therapy is classified in two types one as direct or scarring type moxibustion and the other as indirect or the non-scarring type moxibustion. In the scarring type the herb moxa is placed on a single point on the human body, where it is ignited and the device remains there till the entire herb burns out. Due to the heating at one point there may be localized scarring, heat blisters after the healing process. On the other hand with non-scarring moxibustion the herb moxa is placed on the human body and ignited but it is removed from the body point before the skin starts to burns. The patient thus shall only experience a heating sensation which shall go deep in to the skin and thus shall not feel any pain or shall not have any scars or heat blisters unless the herb is placed repeatedly at one point or is placed for longer period of time. Since the direct technique can cause pain and scarring, direct moxibustion is no longer used and is used if necessary which is very often.

In some cases the moxibustion practitioner may make use of moxa over a layer of ginger, slats or garlic. The ginger or garlic or salt is placed on the patient skin and the moxa herb is burned over these substances. In another technique the practitioner may make use of heat to acupuncture points through some electrical source along with the moxa herb over the skin for several minutes. There is also another form of indirect moxibustion where in both acupuncture needles and moxa herbs are used simultaneously. A needle is inserted into an acupoint and retained. The tip of the needle is then wrapped in moxa and ignited, generating heat to the point and the surrounding area. As soon as the desired effect is achieved, the moxa herb is extinguished and the needle is then removed from the body.

Persons who are suffering from problems like pain due to some sort of injury or arthritis, which impact them in cold weather where the pain naturally feels better with the application of heat or through heat packs, those who are having digestive problems and irregular elimination problems, those patients who are suffering from gynecological and obstetrical conditions, which may include breech presentation in late term pregnancy or those who are seeking protection against cold and flu strains and are looking for alternative treatment can go for Moxibustion. Thus such people are eligible for this treatment.

People who are having serious pain and injury need to get emergency treatment and thus should avoid this kind of treatment. Such people are not advised for this kind of treatment. This is an alternative form of therapy and can be availed by anyone. But the burning of the herb may produce smoke and un- pleasant odor. Thus patients who are allergic to smoke and bad odor need not avail this kind of treatment. Moxibustion is considered unsafe for people with diabetes. Thus, such persons suffering from diabetes are not eligible for the treatment. It is advised that pregnant women’s consult the doctor before availing this therapy.

The Moxibustion therapy is an alternative form of therapy. The therapy requires no intake of any medicines and thus has limited side effects. Some of the side effects are as follows:

1. In the direct form of Moxibustion, due to the heating at one point there may be localized scarring, heat blisters after the healing process.
2. The burning of the herb may produce smoke and un- pleasant odor. Thus patients who are allergic to smoke and bad odor need not avail this kind of treatment.
3. Patients with respiratory problems may request that their practitioner use smokeless moxa sticks as an alternative.
4. The oils from mugwort and wormwood may cause toxic reactions when taken internally.

Patients who undergo the Moxibustion treatment report a sudden flooding of warmth that quickly radiates along a specific pathway away from the site of the application of the therapy. This is the healing process of the therapy. The patients are required to undergo the entire therapy as prescribed by the practitioner so as to get the full benefits of the therapy. Apart from that there are no other set of post treatment guidelines.

The recovery time for the disease may vary from the patient to patient condition and on the mode of the treatment opted.The Moxibustion process treatment recovery time depends on the patient number of sessions undertaken. Though it is a healing proces and thus can require 2 to 5 session for mild pain and mild problems. But for severe problems the number of therapies required may increase.

The price of the treatment varies form one region to another. The average price per session for the Moxibustion therapy may rnge from Rs: 5000/- INR to Rs: 25,000 INR/-. The Moxa sticks cost on an average of Rs; 2500/-

Moxibustion is a chinese medical therapy which can be used indirectly on a patient’s body with acupuncture needles. It is an alternative treatment to flow the Qi in the body and eliminate certain pathogenic influences.

Moxibustion is an alternative therapy in nature that makes use of heating the herb to heal the pain and other problems. Some of the alternative to this therapy are as follows:

1. Acupuncture : this can be done as an seprate therapy for getting relief from the discomforts.
2. Massage: for back aches massage with oil especially hot oil can be seeked.
3. Ayurveda treatment: Ayurveda treatment can be considered as another alternative which has the blend of massage and herbal medicines to treat various kinds of diseases and discomforts.