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Moxibustion1 2 PDF
Moxibustion1 2 PDF
Moxibustion1 2 PDF
• Mugwort is the
common name for艾
• Mugwort is a common
葉 Ai Ye (Folium
weed. It grows almost
Artemisiae argyi). everywhere.
• Mugwort floss (艾絨
ai rong) is also
known as mugwort
wool, mugwort punk,
or loose moxa.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 3 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 4
What you see here is California Chinese mugwort looks a bit different, but the
mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) local version makes floss just fine.
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This is Artemisia argyii, the preferred The leaves are green on top but
source, but A. vulgaris is also used. have white fur on the bottom.
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Harvesting mugwort
• Besides being the
Once mugwort right time to get the
starts to make leaves (before the
plant starts to flower),
flowers or seeds, this is the time of the
it is too late to year when yang is
increasing or near its
pick for floss. peak within the
universe. So mugwort
picked at this time
retains more yang qi.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 13 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 14
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Once dry, remove the leaves from the
stems. You can store the leaves for later.
To make floss, grind the leaves.
In the first
grinding, the
leaves are
broken up.
Use a sieve.
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Look at the fine fibers at the edge
of the leaf. That is what we want.
The rest needs to be removed.
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Aging the floss Aging the floss
1 year
• Floss should be aged
old
for three years, not
sometimes placing it in aged 2 year
the sun. old Recently
• Floss looks green when made
freshly made.
• It will turn golden or aged
brown as it ages, in
depending on the quality. sun
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Here is some
homemade
floss from
California
mugwort.
You can see
sticks and
dark spots,
so it still
needs more
work.
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Quality of Moxa Floss
Good quality floss Poor quality floss
Yellow, pale Greenish-brown, dark
Soft, fine texture Coarse texture
No pieces of twigs Has impurities
Cones hold together Cannot make small cones
Spongy Not springy
500 g of leaves makes 500 g of leaves makes 300-
100-150 g of floss 350 g of floss
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 43 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 44
Low quality floss on the left, High quality floss is used for
high quality on the right direct moxibustion.
(both are store-bought)
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High Quality Floss
Lower quality
floss is still
• Ultra Pure Gold floss
from Japan (on the
useful. It
left) is considered the is used for
best. indirect
• High quality Korean
floss (on the right) is moxibustion
almost as good and is or in
a third of the price.
moxa sticks.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 49 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 50
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Leaves to floss ratio 黃金艾絨 gold moxa floss
• The quality is determined in large • Floss with a 30/1 ratio
part by the ratio of dried leaves to is called gold moxa
floss obtained from it.
floss (黃金艾絨).
– A 3/1 ratio means three grams of
leaves are processed for every gram • High quality mugwort
of floss obtained. floss like this
– The higher the ratio, the better the
quality. undergoes several
– Commercial floss may have a 3/1, weeks of being
5/1, 12/1, or 30/1 ratio. ground, cleaned with
• Unfortunately, this ratio is not a sieve, and dried in
written on the package when you the sun, perhaps a
buy floss. few dozen times.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 55 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 56
Aging Aging
• Mengzi (Zhou) said: “A • Floss needs to be aged for some time so that
excessive volatile oil content can evaporate. As
disease of seven years it ages, the floss color changes from green to
needs three-year-old gold (high quality floss) or greenish-brown to
mugwort.” brown (low quality floss).
• Li Shizhen (Ming) said
“Moxibustion with fresh
mugwort floss damages a
person’s flesh and vessels.”
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Before we talk about moxibustion...
Week 2 • ... we need to begin
making 紫雲膏 Zi Yun
Zi Yun Gao, Gao because it takes a
Clinical Overview long time.
• We are making Zi Yun
Gao so we can use it in
Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. direct moxibustion.
zhenjiu@gmail.com • I will tell you the details
soon, but let’s start
cooking it first.
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紫雲膏 Zi Yun Gao 紫雲膏 Zi Yun Gao
(Purple Cloud Ointment) (Purple Cloud Ointment)
• Let the heat rise to
142°C.
• When the • When the Zi Cao stops
temperature is 142°, foaming (maybe 10
turn off the heat and minutes), remove the big
add the Zi Cao. The pieces of Zi Cao and
oil will immediately strain it through a cloth.
turn quite red.
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What is moxibustion?
enduring 久
fire 火
灸 moxibustion
Clinical Overview and Safety
灸法 jiu fa moxibustion
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Advantages of moxibustion Advantages of moxibustion
5. In some cases, moxibustion is more
1. Cost-effective and fairly convenient to perform. effective than other modalities:
2. Variety of application methods and functions. – Can be used when the patient is too weak for
3. A fully developed system with its own theories, acupuncture or medicinal formulas cannot be
scope of practice, methods for supplementation digested.
and draining, contraindications, and a long – In acute conditions, moxibustion provides
record of clinical experience. quicker results than internally administered
formulas.
4. Effectively treats many diseases. Modern
research and clinical experience confirm this. – There are also some conditions that respond
better to moxibustion than to acupuncture or
medicinals.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 79 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 80
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Functions of Moxibustion Functions of Moxibustion
Nourishes yin
If the right points and Hand technique
Downbears counterflow, techniques are chosen, can be
descends qi used to descend qi and nourish plus
Levels (or calms) the liver, yin... but these functions are point selection
subdues yang, extinguishes wind somewhat controversial.
defines
Expels evils from the body Can be used to radiate evils
Clears heat, resolves toxins outward, including heat evils. which function is
activated.
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Mugwort Moxibustion Mugwort Moxibustion
Warm-needle Using moxa floss, slices of Mugwort cake Using ironing, sunlight, hot-
Moxibustion moxa roll, moxa caps, etc. moxibustion water bottles, or heat lamps
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Non-mugwort Moxibustion Non-mugwort Moxibustion
Electrical heat moxibustion
Heavenly Electrical moxibustion Electrical warm-needle
moxibustion moxibustion
Moxibustion (blistering)
without
burning Medicinal
medicinals application
moxibustion
(non-blistering)
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Dosage Dosage
• Moxibustion must be strong
enough to be effective. Appropriate Dosage
Dosage is Determined By
Moxibustion is generally given in is based on
weaker doses in the west than in Condition of the patient
China: it is given less frequently Number of cones
and with less intensity. Constitution of the patient
• A treatment with moxibustion uses Size of the cones
fewer points than an acupuncture Age of the patient
treatment. It is better to give Duration (course) of treatment
adequate treatment to a few points Site or point to be treated
than to give inadequate treatment Frequency of treatment
to many points. Philosophy of the doctor
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 103 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 104
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Moxa Sensation After Treatment
• Wipe ash, moxa tar, and/or
• Like needling sensation or de qi (得氣) with ointment off the point.
acupuncture, there is also “moxa sensation.” • Moxa tar sometimes
appears as a yellowish-
brown oily film around the
In an effective treatment, the patient experiences a reaction point. Since studies show
moxa tar has beneficial
(one or more of these): qualities, don’t be in a
Hot qi moving through the channel hurry to clean it off.
• Do not use alcohol as this
Hands and feet feel warm is cold and will counteract
Feeling of heat throughout the body the treatment.
Tip of the nose sweats • If you want to clean it
further, use warm water.
Lips turn red
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 109 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 110
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 111 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 112
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 113 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 114
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Practical considerations when
Moxa Sores
making moxa sores
• 楊繼洲《針灸大成》 Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (Ming): • Proper written informed consent.
“If the moxa sore-opening closes easily, the
disease qi is unable to exit.” • Be sure your malpractice insurance
• For repletion evils, moxa sores create an
opening through which the evil qi can be covers it.
expelled. This is like opening the pores to expel • Others could incorrectly attribute
wind evils from the exterior. Sweating affects the
most superficial layers, but moxa sores open moxa sores to abuse, so educate the
into the channel system. So this method can
expel evils from deeper in the body. family.
• Moxibustion is also used on an affected site
such as an abscess. In that case, it directly lets
the evil qi exit.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 115 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 116
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 119 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 120
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Practical considerations when
Moxibustion & safety
making moxa sores 1. Burns - Unintentional burns should never happen.
• Inform the patient about proper after-care.
Perhaps give written instructions. The patient Be especially careful or avoid moxibustion on:
must keep the area clean and should not break • People who cannot report what they feel: comas, dementia, or
the blisters. Leave them to heal naturally unless
they are extremely large. If large, you can open otherwise impaired consciousness, small children, people with
them with a sterile needle. Then apply antiseptic reduced sensitivity (numbness or neuropathy).
and bandage them. • People with immune disorders that make the healing of sores
• Follow up on the patient to be sure that infection difficult: immunosuppressant drugs, advanced HIV disease.
does not develop. If the sore begins to look
infected (more redness, swelling, and pus), • People with certain bleeding disorders (occasionally a burn or
apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage it. sore may bleed).
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 121 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 122
Burns Burns
Do not use moxibustion on the extremities of patients with Don’t let hot ash drop on the patient. Frequently remove ash from
diabetes as they may have less sensation due to neuropathy moxa sticks or incense. For warm-needle, place a skin shield at
and also have a harder time recovering from infections. the base.
Be sure the patient knows to report their sensations during Always have a plan for extinguishing the moxa before it is lit and
treatment. Frequently glance at the patent’s face or notice if have the proper equipment nearby.
their body is tense.
Make sure all materials are completely extinguished before you
Often touch and look at the skin around the site to monitor skin leave the treatment room. Be careful that nothing burning is
temperature. thrown in the trash. One ember can burn down a clinic.
Remember, blisters often do not show up for some hours after
treatment.
• First Aid: standard for burns or infection.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 123 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 124
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Moxibustion & safety Moxibustion & safety
4. Side effects of an unbalanced or improper treatment
• Have on hand the proper and other prohibitions
equipment for extinguishing • Too much moxibustion, especially on the upper body can
the moxa. Always have a cause agitation and restlessness: heat agitates the spirit
plan for extinguishing the which resides in the heart.
moxa before it is lit. • If a patient has heat, dryness, or yin vacuity, improper
• Make sure all materials are use of moxibustion can make it worse. That is why some
completely extinguished doctors prohibit moxibustion in these cases.
before you leave the room. – However, other doctors believe that, when the proper techniques
are used, these prohibitions are unnecessary. If care is taken to
descend and circulate heat or to radiate it out of the body,
moxibustion will not cause harm. Combined with a diet that
provides the raw materials to increase yin, moxibustion can help
the body nourish yin.
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 127 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 128
• Some patients are thirsty after receiving Formula to engender fluids after excessive
moxibustion. Let them drink. moxibustion
• If the patient has heat (dry mouth, thirst, feels Decoct 15 grams each of:
feverish, dark urine, constipation, etc.) after
moxibustion, give them a decoction to engender 生地黃 Sheng Di Huang (uncooked Radix Rehmanniae)
fluids (see below).
麥門冬 Mai Men Dong (Tuber Ophiopogonis)
• Next time, use less moxibustion, focus more on
the lower body, and make sure there is enough 玄參 Xuan Shen (Radix Scrophulariae)
time between treatments.
肉蓯蓉 Rou Cong Rong (Herba Cistanches)
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 129 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 130
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Side effects of an unbalanced or improper Side effects of an unbalanced or improper
treatment and other prohibitions treatment and other prohibitions
© 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 135 © 2010 Lorraine Wilcox L.Ac. 136
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Suppliers Good Works
Japanese style;
Shiunko (Zi Yun Moxafrica is a
Kenshin http://kenshin.com/
Gao), moxa charitable
supplies organization set up
Mulberry paper to investigate the use
Moxafrica http://www.moxafrica.org/
Hiromi Paper http://www.hiromipaper.com for making moxa of moxibustion for
sticks the treatment of
tuberculosis,
especially in Africa.
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