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Moxibustion treats and prevents diseases by applying heat
to points or certain locations of the human body. The material
used is mainly " moxa - wool " in the form of
a cone or stick. For centuries, moxibustion and acupuncture
have been used in clinical practice, thus they are usually
termed together in Chinese. "A disease that may not
be treated by acupuncture may be treated by moxibustion."
"When a disease fails to respond to medication and
acupuncture, moxibustion is suggested." The actual
Chinese character for acupuncture, translated literally,
means "acupuncture-moxibustion." The purpose of
moxibustion, as with most forms of traditional Chinese medicine,
is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and
maintain general health.
There are two types of moxibustion: direct and indirect.
In direct moxibustion, a small, cone-shaped amount of moxa
is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. This
type of moxibustion is further categorized into two types:
scarring and non-scarring. With scarring moxibustion, the
moxa is placed on a point, ignited, and allowed to remain
onto the point until it burns out completely. This may lead
to localized scarring, blisters and scarring after healing.
With non-scarring moxibustion, the moxa is placed on the
point and lit, but is extinguished or removed before it
burns the skin. The patient will experience a pleasant heating
sensation that penetrates deep into the skin, but should
not experience any pain, blistering or scarring unless the
moxa is left in place for too long.
Training/Licensing
Moxibustion is
usually taught as part of a qualified acupuncture or traditional
Chinese medicine degree program. Although there are no licensing
or accreditation requirements associated with the practice
of moxibustion, in the United States, a practitioner must
have an acupuncture license to be allowed to perform moxibustion.
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