Moxibustion is a part of integrative medicine and is often used in addition to acupuncture, cupping, Tai Chi, etc. It is a form of heat therapy that involves burning the dried plant moxa and leaving it either on or very near the skin surface. This helps promote the flow of Qi and dispel certain pathogens in the body.

A moxa stick burns for about five minutes and is used to relieve pain and congestion and to provide an anesthetic effect. Pieces of heated ginger are used to treat stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhea, and rheumatic pain; garlic is applied in respiratory disorders, and salt is used to stimulate the abdominal organs.

If it’s a cone, you’ll feel a slow warmth as it burns and then when it’s warm enough, the acupuncturist will remove the cone from your skin.

Many patients have reported feeling a sudden flooding of warmth that quickly radiates throughout the body, usually corresponding with the jing luo channel that is being treated, when moxibustion is applied. For most patients, that is a very relaxing feeling because it is promoting a strong flow of Qi around the body.