Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that consists of burning dried mugwort, known as moxa, on or near particular points of the body, often the same points used in acupuncture, with the aim of warming and stimulating circulation to treat disease. Bian Que, a physician traditionally dated to around the 5th century BCE, is among the earliest documented specialists associated with the practice, and Korean folklore separately credits the legendary emperor Dangun with its origin; the technique became known in the West through the accounts of sixteenth-century Portuguese missionaries in Japan. Moxibustion continues to be practiced today, both on its own and alongside acupuncture, within traditional East Asian medicine.
Facts
Disputed
Origin YearSource describes Bian Que as a semi-legendary figure; the year marks the earliest specialist practice on record, not a certain founding date. Classification
StatusDiscontinued or Obsolete 1 Connections
Associated With
Moxibustion is a technique of traditional Chinese medicine, usually applied alongside acupuncture.
Long-Form Articles
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationMoxibustion - Lead section
Moxibustion (Chinese: jiu) is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort (moxa) on particular points on the body.
Moxibustion - Theory and practice section
Bian Que (fl. circa 500 BCE), one of the most famous semi-legendary doctors of Chinese antiquity and the first specialist in moxibustion, discussed the benefits of moxa over acupuncture in his classic work Bian Que Neijing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxibustion, lead section
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort on particular points on the body.
View the Source Wikipedia - Moxibustion
Moxibustion - Uses and effectiveness sectionQuote, Moxibustion - Uses and effectiveness section
Most research into moxibustion comes from China and is generally of low quality.
Wikidata: Moxibustion
Wikidata Q937737, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
What is moxibustion?
A traditional Chinese medicine therapy that burns dried mugwort on particular points of the body.
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort (moxa) on particular points on the body. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or process it further into a cigar-shaped stick. They can use it indirectly, with acupuncture needles, or burn it on the patient's skin.
What are the methods of moxibustion?
Direct scarring, direct non-scarring and indirect moxibustion, differing in how close the burning moxa is to the skin.
There are several methods of moxibustion. Three of them are direct scarring, direct non-scarring, and indirect moxibustion. Direct scarring moxibustion places a small cone of moxa on the skin at an acupuncture point and burns it until the skin blisters, which then scars after it heals. Direct non-scarring moxibustion removes the burning moxa before the skin burns enough to scar. Indirect moxibustion holds a cigar made of moxa near the acupuncture point to heat the skin, or holds it on an acupuncture needle inserted in the skin to heat the needle.
Is moxibustion effective and safe?
Not backed by good evidence for most uses and carries risks such as burns and infection.
Moxibustion is promoted as a treatment for a wide variety of conditions, but its use is not backed by good evidence and it carries a risk of adverse effects, including burns and infection. Some side effects that have been reported include nausea, throat irritation, and abdominal pain from contractions when used in pregnancy. There is some evidence that moxibustion, included along with usual care for a person at risk of a breech birth, may decrease the chances that the baby presents in the breech position; a 2023 Cochrane Systematic Review rated this evidence as moderate certainty, but the safety profile was not clear.
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