Moxibustion
Moxibustion: Moxa, for short, is a dried, aged plant called Mugwort in English. Though it is used in many different forms, in this context it is burned in one of 2 different ways: directly on the skin or indirectly near the skin, on or around a specific acupuncture point. Moxa is not used to the point of scarring and therefore it does not burn you. This specific plant is thought to have been chosen for this use after testing many different plants over a very long period of time. It is seen to be special because it penetrates into the body at the deepest level. The word acupuncture in Chinese is “zhen jiu.” The word “zhen” means needle, referring to the use of acupuncture needles. The word “jiu” means moxa. This implies that the use of moxa and needles in treatment are of equal importance. You can learn more about moxa under adjunct therapies.
