Moxibustion, commonly referred to as moxa, is the practice of placing a small cone of this Chinese herb on an acupuncture point then lighting it with a small stick of incense and having the patient tell their acupuncturist when he or she feels it has become ‘hot’ at which point the acupuncturist removes the cone. This modality is performed to stimulate a healing physiological response.
It can be a little smoky, and therefore, some patients are not able to tolerate this modality. However, most people find it to be a pleasant, soothing, and warming experience. Modern Research has shown that moxa therapy is effective in raising white blood cell counts in severely debilitated patients and is most famously known for repositioning breech babies. As a bonus, the mugwart plant is easily grown in North Carolina.