moxa, there are several ways in which the acupuncturist can apply this technique. The two categories of application are direct moxa and indirect moxa. Direct moxa, or okyu, involves applying a balm to acu- puncture points on the surface of the skin as a barrier, then lighting half-grain rice sized pieces of pure mugwort wool with an incense stick. Usually, multiple “threads” of mugwort are burned on each location until the patient reports feeling the warmth. Pa- tients describe the sensation of direct moxa on the skin like that of a prick by a thorn or a small ember from a sparkler. An acupunc- turist will spend many hours practicing the technique of rolling the moxa threads to the right size, lighting the threads with the incense stick, and dampening the threads with their hands should the threads burn too hot. It takes many years of practice for the acupuncturist to create consistency with rolling and burning the threads of moxa.
Indirect moxa can be applied on the skin with a thick barrier, such as on top of a slice of ginger, garlic, or on top of salt. There are pre-made moxa rolls on dime- sized cardboard adhesives that can be placed on acupuncture points. Indirect moxa consists of warming the point by placing balls of semi-pure mugwort wool to the head of the inserted needle, light- ing it with an incense stick or lighter, and letting it smolder, providing the patient with an ambient as well as penetrating warmth. Mugwort can be compressed into poles of- fering another way to indirectly apply moxa to an area of the body by waving the lit pole slowly in a direction as to encourage fl ow of Qi. Both direct and indirect moxibustion produce smoke therefore it is best to apply it in a well-ventilated offi ce.
The Result of 100 Okyu Threads When I introduce thread moxa, or
okyu into a treatment with a patient, I tell the patient to think of the okyu as old- fashioned laser therapy before low-level laser therapy was invented. It is said that mugwort burns at a certain frequency and has a penetrating effect. There is a story of a Japanese Doctor name Yoshio Manaka who burned 100 okyu threads on a single spot on a watermelon. When he sliced open the watermelon, he discovered a perfect brown line penetrating through the entire water- melon. He duplicated this experiment with other herbs, but no other herb produced the same result. I keep this story in mind when I apply okyu to areas of patients’ bodies that might be diffi cult to needle and think of the effect it has on reducing pain, especially in arthritic joints. Mugwort is not only used for its warming properties, but also its ability to dry dampness. This makes okyu particularly useful in reducing arthritic pain as arthritis is considered in Chinese medicine to be an accumulation of Cold and Damp in the joints.
Reducing Pain and Building Blood
According to the classic texts, moxi- bustion is used to treat cold and stagnant conditions. Research has demonstrated that moxibustion is benefi cial in relieving pain, reducing infl ammation, and support- ing the immune system by activating white blood cell activity. Among the conditions for which moxa is an effective treatment are arthritic pain in the joints of the hands; infl ammation from repetitive stress injuries, such as experienced with lateral epicon- dylitis; and acute pain from a recent injury such as after a fall on the ice. The most
rewarding case studies come from address- ing women’s reproductive health whether it be painful menstrual cycles or infertility. For these women and their families, moxa is truly life-changing.
Jessica Peck-Lindsey is a Doc- tor of Acupuncture and Inte- grative Health and owner of Peck’s Family Acupuncture in Waterboro. Dr. Peck-Lindsey holds a Master’s of Science in Pain Research, Education, and
Policy from Tufts School of Medicine and is Certifi ed in Traumatic Stress Studies from the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute. With the aim of being able to better provide for patients living with pain and traumatic stress, Dr. Peck-Lindsey opened the Wellness Center at Peck’s Family Acupuncture integrat- ing therapeutic movement, trauma-informed yoga, Reiki, Emotion Code, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and wellness coaching along with individu- alized acupuncture and massage therapy sessions. Dr. Peck-Lindsey can be reached at
jessica@pecksfamilyacupuncture.com
River Anderson is a certifi ed Herbalist, Reiki Practitioner, and the Owner and Operator of Ashwood Herbals. River is a graduate of the apprenticeship program of Greenwood Herbals, and student of the clinical appren- ticeship. River works collaboratively with Dr. Peck-Lindsey at Peck’s Family Acupuncture creating custom blends of herb-infused muscle salves that are used exclusively at Peck’s Family Acupuncture. River can be reached at info@pecksfamilyacupuncture. com or by visiting https://www.facebook. com/AshwoodHerbals. See ad on page 21.
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