Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Acupuncture is a safe, effective, and natural medical treatment that originates in ancient China. There are many styles of acupuncture practiced throughout the world today, but they are all based on applying needles, our hands, a heat source, or other tools to the skin in order to call in to action very specific movements of energy within the human body. Stimulating acupuncture points and channels can correct imbalances in the flow of qi throughout the body. Activating and directing the qi reminds the body and mind of a more efficient and appropriate way to function. Acupuncture ultimately guides the body and mind, allowing the person to heal him or herself.
Acupuncture treatments are very detailed and are specifically designed for each individual patient at the moment that they present in the clinic. While it is well known that acupuncture can alleviate any kind of pain, it also offers very thorough solutions to a wide range of other health problems, including, but not limited to: ear, nose, and throat disorders; digestive complaints; gynecological issues; emotional afflictions; colds and flus; allergies; hypertension; and much more.
Moxibustion, which is often abbreviated as moxa (pronounced, mokusa in Japanese), is the stimulation of acupuncture points with warmth. Moxa goes hand in hand with acupuncture, and in fact, it likely predates the use of needles to alleviate sickness. The characters for shinkyu (zhenjiu in Chinese) means "acu-moxa therapy," "acupuncture and moxibustion," or, literally, "needle combustion." We can see right away that the two therapies are of equal importance. In the Japanese language, mokusa means "burning herb," which tells us precisely what this modality consists of -- burning very small pieces of a dried herb on or near the skin at specific places deemed necessary for treatment.
Moxa is performed using a variety of mugwort called Yomogi in Japanese, or Aiye in Chinese. Pieces of this herb are lit and allowed to smolder for a short period of time. There are many different ways in which moxa can be applied, but they can all be placed into one of two categories, direct or indirect. Direct moxa means burning very small cones -- about the size of half of a grain of rice -- directly on the skin. Indirect moxa can refer to placing a piece of moxa on the head of an inserted needle and allowing it to burn, or holding a rolled stick of moxa just above the skin. Whichever method is applied, moxa is a very safe and effective tool to use alongside, or sometimes in place of, the use of acupuncture needles.
Moxa can be used to improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, stimulate the functioning of the internal organs and bodily systems, relax the sympathetic nervous response, and so much more. In Japan, research has shown that moxa treatments can increase the number of white blood cells, boost immune function, shorten blood clotting time, dilate blood vessels, improve gastrointesinal motility, and enhance liver function, all of which contribute to its ability to relieve pain, reduce stress, and clear congestion and blockages of many kinds.
Acupuncture treatments are very detailed and are specifically designed for each individual patient at the moment that they present in the clinic. While it is well known that acupuncture can alleviate any kind of pain, it also offers very thorough solutions to a wide range of other health problems, including, but not limited to: ear, nose, and throat disorders; digestive complaints; gynecological issues; emotional afflictions; colds and flus; allergies; hypertension; and much more.
Moxibustion, which is often abbreviated as moxa (pronounced, mokusa in Japanese), is the stimulation of acupuncture points with warmth. Moxa goes hand in hand with acupuncture, and in fact, it likely predates the use of needles to alleviate sickness. The characters for shinkyu (zhenjiu in Chinese) means "acu-moxa therapy," "acupuncture and moxibustion," or, literally, "needle combustion." We can see right away that the two therapies are of equal importance. In the Japanese language, mokusa means "burning herb," which tells us precisely what this modality consists of -- burning very small pieces of a dried herb on or near the skin at specific places deemed necessary for treatment.
Moxa is performed using a variety of mugwort called Yomogi in Japanese, or Aiye in Chinese. Pieces of this herb are lit and allowed to smolder for a short period of time. There are many different ways in which moxa can be applied, but they can all be placed into one of two categories, direct or indirect. Direct moxa means burning very small cones -- about the size of half of a grain of rice -- directly on the skin. Indirect moxa can refer to placing a piece of moxa on the head of an inserted needle and allowing it to burn, or holding a rolled stick of moxa just above the skin. Whichever method is applied, moxa is a very safe and effective tool to use alongside, or sometimes in place of, the use of acupuncture needles.
Moxa can be used to improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, stimulate the functioning of the internal organs and bodily systems, relax the sympathetic nervous response, and so much more. In Japan, research has shown that moxa treatments can increase the number of white blood cells, boost immune function, shorten blood clotting time, dilate blood vessels, improve gastrointesinal motility, and enhance liver function, all of which contribute to its ability to relieve pain, reduce stress, and clear congestion and blockages of many kinds.