Moxibustion is one of the oldest traditional Chinese medicine therapies, with a history of thousands of years. Moxibustion involves igniting moxa made from Ai Ye (Artemisia vulgaris) and applying its warmth and medicinal properties to stimulate acupuncture points or specific areas on the body, thereby activating the flow of Qi to regulate disordered bodily functions, achieving the goals of disease prevention and treatment.
So, what are the effects of moxibustion? When applied appropriately, moxibustion can warm the meridians, dispel cold, support Yang, invigorate blood circulation, dissipate nodules, reduce swelling, and prevent diseases. The Neuro-Moxibustion Classic states: “Moxibustion takes from humans, with fire being hot and swift, soft yet firm, capable of dispelling shadows, moving without restraint, effectively entering the organs, using the pungent aroma of moxa as a pillar, able to connect the twelve meridians, traverse the three Yin, regulate Qi and blood, treat hundreds of diseases, and be as effective as a snap of the fingers.”
The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) states: “The Yin and Yang of the four seasons are the root of all things. Therefore, sages nurture Yang in spring and summer, and Yin in autumn and winter.” During the hot summer days, the Yang energy in nature is at its peak, and the body’s metabolism is at its most vigorous. Moxibustion during the summer aligns with the TCM principle of nurturing Yang in spring and summer. Applying warm stimulation to specific acupuncture points during the hottest time of the year accelerates the circulation of Qi and blood, opens the pores, and promotes the expulsion of wind, cold, and dampness from the body, thus supporting the body’s defenses and expelling pathogens. As the end of the summer heat approaches (August 10 to August 23, 2023), seize the opportunity to engage in seasonal health practices!
The Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine / First Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has currently launched various moxibustion methods, including Du Moxibustion, Umbilical Moxibustion, Ear Moxibustion, and Fire Dragon Moxibustion, to meet your diverse moxibustion needs during the summer.
Introduction to Special Therapies
Ear Acupressure
1. Therapy Overview
This method uses medicinal seeds instead of ear needles, placed on adhesive tape and applied to acupuncture points or reflex points on the auricle. By pressing with fingers, stimulation is provided, transmitting through the meridians to achieve disease prevention and treatment.
【Therapy Characteristics】 Simple operation, definite efficacy, minimal adverse reactions, and benefits for disease prevention, beauty, and health maintenance.
2. Indications
1. Painful diseases, such as various sprains, headaches, and neuralgia.
2. Inflammatory diseases and infectious diseases, such as acute and chronic colitis, periodontitis, and pharyngitis.
3. Functional disorders, such as gastrointestinal neurosis, arrhythmia, hypertension, and neurasthenia.
4. Allergic and hypersensitivity diseases, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and urticaria.
5. Endocrine and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and perimenopausal syndrome.
6. Other diseases in internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, and otorhinolaryngology, also applicable for preventing colds, motion sickness, and managing transfusion reactions.
Copper Gua Sha
1. Therapy Overview
Gua Sha is an external treatment method guided by the TCM theories of organs and meridians, using a blunt-edged tool to scrape specific areas on the body. It has effects such as invigorating blood circulation, balancing Yin and Yang, relaxing muscles and meridians, and detoxifying.
【Therapy Characteristics】
1. Safe, with minimal side effects.
2. Simple operation, broad indications, and reliable efficacy.
3. Significant effects for chronic disease treatment and preventive health care.
4. Long-term Gua Sha can enhance physical fitness.
2. Indications
Neck and shoulder pain, low back pain, headaches, colds, coughs, insomnia, constipation, and various acute diseases in summer and autumn, such as heat stroke, cholera, and dysentery. TCM differential diagnosis Gua Sha can treat various difficult and miscellaneous diseases.
Ear Apex Bloodletting
1. Therapy Overview
Ear apex bloodletting is a form of bloodletting therapy widely used in clinical practice, effective for clearing heat and draining fire, calming the liver and subduing Yang, and clearing the mind and brightening the eyes.
【Therapy Characteristics】 Simple operation, significant efficacy.
2. Indications: High fever, explosive eye fire, red and swollen eyes, acute conjunctivitis, keratitis, acne, hypertension, facial paralysis, insomnia, sore throat, migraine, hordeolum, tongue pain, eczema, etc.
Balanced Cupping
1. Therapy Overview
Balanced cupping integrates the theory of balance into traditional cupping, combining methods such as flash cupping, kneading cupping, pushing cupping, shaking cupping, and stationary cupping. It effectively stimulates the Qi of the organs and meridians, ensuring smooth circulation of Qi and blood, thereby regulating and improving fatigue, stabilizing kidney Qi, harmonizing liver and spleen, and restoring balance to the body.
【Therapy Characteristics】
1. Simple operation, easy to popularize.
2. Non-invasive, easily accepted by patients.
3. Significant efficacy.
4. No side effects.
5. Treats and prevents diseases.
2. Indications: Insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome, colds, neck, shoulder, and lower back pain.
Fire Dragon Cupping
1. Therapy Overview
Fire Dragon Cupping is a recently developed treatment method that combines massage, moxibustion, Gua Sha, and acupressure, with effects of relaxing muscles, invigorating blood circulation, and warming Yang to dispel cold.
【Therapy Characteristics】 It eliminates the bruising and pain side effects caused by traditional cupping, providing better results than traditional cupping, beneficial for correcting blood stasis conditions, and has high clinical value.
2. Indications
1. Soft tissue injuries of the spine: such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, ankylosing spondylitis.
2. Muscle injuries in the back: such as upper back pain, acute lumbar sprain, local muscle strain.
3. Gastrointestinal diseases: such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal distension, and indigestion.
4. Gynecological diseases: such as irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and uterine fibroids.
5. Bi syndrome: joint pain, swelling, numbness, and limited movement caused by wind, cold, and dampness.
6. Others: edema after fractures, sequelae of stroke, and limb pain caused by diabetic microcirculation disorders.
Umbilical Moxibustion
1. Therapy Overview
This method uses moxa fluff or moxa-based materials, ignited and placed on the Shen Que (Umbilicus), applying heat and medicinal effects to expel diseases, eliminate dampness, support the body’s vital energy, invigorate blood circulation, open the meridians, treat and prevent diseases, and promote health.
【Therapy Characteristics】
The Shen Que point connects the five internal organs, twelve meridians, and eight extraordinary meridians; it is the hub of Yin and Yang transformation in the body. Regulating the body’s vital energy is key to the efficacy of umbilical moxibustion.
2. Indications
Umbilical moxibustion has a wide range of applications, effective for various diseases in internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, and also has health maintenance benefits.
1. Strengthening the spleen and stomach, elevating clear and lowering turbid: used for treating stomach pain, acid reflux, fullness, vomiting, and diarrhea.
2. Regulating the San Jiao, promoting urination and reducing swelling: used for treating urinary difficulties, ascites, edema, and obesity.
3. Regulating the Chong and Ren meridians, warming and tonifying the lower source: used for treating male impotence, nocturnal emissions, premature ejaculation, and female menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, leukorrhea, metrorrhagia, and infertility.
4. Opening the meridians and relieving pain: used for treating intestinal spasms, mesenteric lymphadenitis, Bi syndrome, and various pain syndromes.
5. Containing sweat and solidifying the exterior, tonifying deficiency: used for treating spontaneous sweating, night sweats, leukorrhea, chronic diarrhea, nocturnal emissions, and insomnia.
6. Preventing diseases, maintaining youth, and promoting longevity: used for treating various deficiency diseases, neurasthenia, and also for preventive health care and rejuvenation.
Fire Dragon Moxibustion
1. Therapy Overview
Fire Dragon Moxibustion is a type of moxibustion. The name “Fire Dragon” comes from the need to ignite the moxa fluff, with flames burning on the back resembling a dragon rolling on the back.
【Therapy Characteristics】
Fire Dragon Moxibustion covers a wide area, thus its warming and Qi-invigorating effects are powerful and extensive, allowing the medicinal properties to penetrate deeply into the meridians, achieving effects such as warming Yang, invigorating Qi, harmonizing Yin and Yang, warming the meridians, expelling pathogens, and enhancing the penetration of medicinal properties into the meridians.
2. Indications
1. Individuals with a cold and weak constitution, who are prone to catching colds.
2. Painful diseases, chronic deficiency diseases, such as shoulder, neck, and back pain, chronic lumbar muscle strain, and dysfunction of internal organs.
3. Treatment of difficult-to-treat diseases, such as ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, cold-type stomach pain, and stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
