Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture / Moxibustion

In Chinese the term for acupuncture is ‘Zhen Jiu’. The Zhen means needles and the Jin means moxa. Thus, acupuncture and moxibustion have been paired therapies for hundreds of years.

Acupuncture

It is likely that acupuncture developed after massage and acupressure, as a means of getting a deeper effect with less effort. Most scholars agree that stone probes, found in prehistoric Chinese caves and tombs, were the original acupuncture/acupressure instruments. . Traditional acupuncture involves the use of high-quality stainless steel, silver, or copper needles.

Acupuncture is a procedure by which diseases can be prevented and treated through proper insertion of needles into "acupuncture points" with the intention of stimulating circulation through the points and inducing a smoother flow of blood and Qi . The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory for the selection of such points and their effectiveness is that they work by stimulating the meridian system to bring about relief by balancing yin , yang and Qi .

This theory is based on the paradigm of TCM, that treats the human body as a whole that involves several "systems of function" that are in many cases associated with (but not identified on a one-to-one basis with) physical organs. Disease is understood as a loss of homeostasis among the several systems of function, and treatment of disease is attempted by modifying the activity of one or more systems of function, and in the case of acupuncture, through the activity of needles.

Acupuncture has been shown to favorably alter blood pressure and circulation, to stimulate the immune system, relaxes spasmed muscles, trigger the release of anti-inflammatory compounds, and more. The body does have an energy field and is dependent upon natural electricity for the operation of the nervous system, heart, and other organs.

The body is an incredibly complex mechanism, and has an amazing capacity for self-repair. Acupuncture can probably best be seen as an aid to trigger the body's self-repair systems when they are not functioning optimally.

Moxibustion

Medical historians believe that moxibustion pre-dated acupuncture, and needling came to supplement moxa. Moxa is the dried form of a herb commonly known as mugwort, whose botanical name is Artemesia vulgaris. Moxibustion is a technique in which a stick or cone of mugwort is placed over an inflamed or affected area on the body.

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.

Indirect moxibustion is currently the more popular form of care because there is a much lower risk of pain or burning. In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a moxa stick, roughly the shape and size of a cigar, and holds it close to the area being treated for several minutes until the area turns red.

Another form of indirect moxibustion uses both acupuncture needles and moxa. A needle is inserted into an acupoint and retained. The tip of the needle is then wrapped in moxa and ignited, generating heat to the point and the surrounding area. After the desired effect is achieved, the moxa is extinguished and the needle(s) removed.