Using moxibustion and Chinese medicine at Kampo Health, Toronto

What is moxibustion

Traditional moxibustion is a type of therapy that involves the burning of mugwort leaves(艾叶). This herb is believed to enhance healing when combined with Acupuncture and other Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies. e leaves are burnt in a stick a few centimeters away from the skin (indirect moxibustion), or moxa can be put directly on the skin in a small cone the size of a grain of rice (direct moxibustion).

The purpose of using moxa is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of Qi or energy, remove any blockage, and maintain good health.

According to Chinese medicine, regularly having moxibustion treatment can help your body deal with a wide range of health issues, including infertility, digestive problems, and chronic pain.

The mechanism of moxibustion treatment

Modern research has shown the thermal and radiation effects of moxa. The radiation spectrum from moxibustion ranges from 0.8 to 5.6 μm; the peak is near 1.5 μm, lying within the near-infrared portion. Experimental results showed that thermal stimulation affects different layers of skin tissues from shallow to deep. The therapeutic effect of moxa is believed to be related to the skin’s warm receptors and/or polymodal receptors.

What does moxibustion do from a TCM perspective?

“The functions of moxibustion: expelling cold, promoting the circulation in meridians and collaterals, clearing away heat, detoxification, and so forth, are dependent on the efficacy of moxibustion for circulating qi and blood flow.”[1]

In TCM theory, moxibustion has a dual effect of tonification and purgation, which makes moxa an important modality along with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

What are the benefits of moxibustion?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), moxa has been used to treat a variety of conditions:

• Chronic Pain
• Sport Injuries
• Arthritis
• Infertility and hormonal imbalance
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Menstrual cramps
• Digestive problems
• Poor immune system
• Prolapse
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Moxibustion can be used alone or in combination with acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine. During your First Visit, your acupuncturist or Chinese medicine practitioner will discuss which is the best treatment based on your individual situation.

Treating Digestion, Immunity, and Longevity with moxibustion in Toronto, Canada

One of the most common points used in moxa treatments is Stomach 36 (ST36). It’s located on the lateral side of the leg, a few inches below the knee. Working on this point is believed to strengthen Digestion and Immune Function by boosting the defensive Qi of the body. In Japan, there is a tradition of doing moxa on the ST36 point on 立春, the first day of Spring, every year. People believe it can help them fight disease and live both longer and healthier.

As I am writing this post, today, Feb 4, 2023, is 立春 (every year, the day is different because we follow a lunar calendar). My wife and I did moxa on our ST36 points in the morning between 7 to 9 am, the Stomach meridian’s time, as part of taking charge of our own health routine.

In Chinese medicine, Digestive Health is the foundation of the immune system. Western medicine actually agrees, with the latest scientific literature on Gut and immune health showing as much. For this reason, if you are suffering from digestive problems and want to improve your immune function, I would highly recommend coming to Kampo Heath in Toronto to try our Chinese medicine and moxibustion treatment.

What are the risks of moxibustion?

Because of the nature of the moxibustion process, there are some side effects that can happen during the treatment.

• Burning
• Coughing from the smoke
• Allergic reaction to mugwort
• Dark skin patches

If you are looking for a moxibustion treatment, please go to a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner and/or acupuncturist who is well-trained in the therapy to ensure the efficacy and safety of the treatment.

Can moxa therapy help breech babies?

Breech is a condition where the baby is positioned with its feet first in the birth channel. This position makes natural delivery very difficult and dangerous for both mom and baby.

Women with a breech presentation may seek moxa treatment from 32-38 weeks, but it is preferably performed around 34 weeks of pregnancy. The baby at this stage is small enough to turn and big enough to remain in the head-down position.

Using moxibustion to turn breech babies has been known for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. When I mentioned this treatment to my mom while I was studying TCM, she told me that she used moxa to turn me around when she was pregnant with me!

Moxibustion is considered a safe treatment to help with breech presentation, with many Western obstetricians recommending it to their patients. Moxa therapy may be administered for 10-15 minutes once a day for up to 7 to 10 days. The patients should monitor the baby’s position every few days to prevent overturning.

What is the cost of moxibustion treatment in Toronto, Canada

Moxa therapy can be performed on its own or combined with acupuncture, depending on the individual conditions. At Kampo Health, your acupuncturist or Chinese medicine practitioner will discuss the treatment plan in your first moxibustion visit.

First visit:

• $125 ~ 60 minutes

Including history intake and first moxibustion and/or acupuncture treatment.

Follow-up moxibustion treatment:

• $75 ~ 20 minutes (Moxibustion only)
• $95 ~ 40 minutes (Moxibustion and acupuncture)
• $125 ~ 60 minutes (Moxibustion and acupuncture)

Moxa kit for homecare:

• $60/box (60 pure moxa self-adhesive cones)

Moxibustion therapy at Kampo Health Toronto, Canada

Moxa treatment is particularly suitable for infertility, chronic pain conditions, and pediatric care, but it can also help the general immune and circulation function of the body. At Kampo Health Chinese medicine and acupuncture clinic, we use electric moxa devices to provide effective and safe moxibustion treatments for our patients. The device that we use is the Premio 10 Moxa made in France. It has the most similar effect to traditional moxibustion but without the smoke and smell that can be problematic to some patients. Especially good for children and people who are allergic to smoke.

We also provide the purest form of self-adhesive moxa cones for patients who want to continue the treatment at home. This is very convenient for pregnant patients with breech babies.

Schedule your appointment Online!

Call us at 1-647-779-1919 if you have any questions!

Resources:

1. 1.Wang L-L. Characteristics of moxibustion and its warming-dredging effect. Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion. 2011;31(10):865-868. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]