Moxibustion

What is it?

Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in traditional Chinese medicine. Dried mugwort leaves (moxa) are burned on or very near the surface of the skin, targeting the body’s meridians and acupuncture points. The theory behind moxibustion is that by warming the meridians of the qi in the blood through the body, it nourishes and boosts yang deficiencies or those of a cold nature.

What does it treat?

Moxibustion is well-known to correct breech fetal position, but can be used to treat a range of health concerns, including: gastrointestinal issues, menstrual cramps, arthritis, joint or muscle pain, chronic pain, cold and flu prevention, eczema, ulcerative colitis and high blood pressure.

What can I expect in my treatment?

At South Philadelphia Community Acupuncture,  we mainly use a moxa pole about half an inch from the acupuncture point. We also use needle moxa, where a piece of of moxa the size of a thumbnail is placed onto the head of the acupuncture needle and burned, warming up the skin and meridian slowly. 

If you’re coming in to correct breech presentation, we’ll  burn moxa above the fifth pinky toe and then show you how to do it, so you can continue the process with your partner at home. South Philadelphia Community Acupuncture has a 95% success rate with flipping breech babies and it’s one of the most exciting things we do.