Moxibustion (or “moxa”) is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that involves the burning of dried mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) over specific acupuncture points or areas of the body. Its history dates back thousands of years, and it has been used as a complementary treatment alongside acupuncture to enhance the effects of therapy, particularly to warm and stimulate the body’s energy flow.
It has acrid and spicy qualities, in terms of herbal medicine, it has antioxidant, antiviral and antifungal properties. A 2020 review published in the Journal of Chinese Medicine, by Alice Douglas, summarised further research, concluding that the evidence showed moxa:
- increases blood flow and metabolism, and increases elasticity in connective tissue
- is superior in terms of heat transfer compared to other sources
- has the ability to stimulate deeper levels in the body, increasing cellular activity, due to the prominence of near infrared radiation
- reduces inflammation and cell apoptosis (cell death)
- acts as an antioxidant (man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage.)
