Moxibustion Relieves Pain, Reduces Inflammation & Supports the Immune System
By Jessica Peck-Lindsey, DAIH and River Anderson M
ugwort and Wormwood; their names conjure up images of twisted trees, damp forest floors,
and perhaps a boarding school for wizard-kids. It is not uncommon for a pa- tient to make the obvious reference to a certain book when I refer to the herb used in moxibustion. Perhaps it is no wonder that our imaginations take us to unknown and mysterious places when we first hear these names. Afterall, it is the medicinal properties of these two herbs that have contributed to its history and mythology. The Mugwort plant was traditionally used to protect homes from “evil spirits” or, in our modern understanding, sickness. This early use of Mugwort for protection from illness likely stemmed from its antibacte- rial, antimicrobial and antiviral proper- ties. Burning these herbs in the household was an effective way for early people to reduce contamination and spread of ill- ness before the development of modern medicine and antibiotics.
In traditional Chinese medicine, moxa is commonly made by drying Artemisia Vulgaris, (Mugwort) or Artemisia Absinthium (Wormwood) and rendering the plant mate- rial into a fluffy cotton-like substance. This
cotton-like substance is what is then used for moxabustion. The fun thing is, while this may sound like an herb from some distant place, many of us have it growing in our backyards. Mugwort is commonly found throughout many regions of the U.S. after having been brought here from its home of origin in the continent of Asia. In traditional Western herbalism, we can see many simi- lar effects from Mugwort and Wormwood, when compared to their traditional Chinese medicine uses as moxa. Both Mugwort and Wormwood are considered to be “warm- ing” medicinal herbs used for a wide variety of conditions and ailments. Looking at their functions or “actions” we can see some of the ways where these Western and Eastern traditions meet.
The Actions and Effects of Mugwort and Wormwood
The actions, or functions, of these herbs include; bitter (promotes appetite and aids digestion), anti-spasmodic, nervine (calms the nerves), immunomodulant, anti- inflammatory, anthelmintic (destroy parasitic worms), antibacterial and antiviral. Western herbalists use these herbs for conditions ranging from common cold, influenza, muscle spasms, arthritis, Lyme disease,
parasites, and building the immune and nervous systems. While most of these uses are applied as internal treatment, such as in teas or extracts, many can be used as topi- cal applications and smoke therapies, such as moxibustion. The actions of these herbs have a similar effect whether used internally or as a smoke therapy and both applica- tions are beneficial in addressing inflamma- tion, the immune and nervous systems and blood stimulation.
However, there is one advantage to using moxa as a topical smoke therapy and this is that it is one of the easiest and most effective ways to utilize the potently medicinal volatile oils that come from the plants. These volatile oils such as linalool and 1,8-cineole, would normally cook off in a water-based infusion, or may be too strong in an alcohol-based extraction. It is thanks to these volatile oils that gives moxa, and both plants it is derived from, their powerful actions on the body as well as the environment.
Moxibustion in the Acupuncture Treatment Space
Moxibustion is the act of burning
mugwort for therapeutic effect by a licensed acupuncturist. Commonly referred to as
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