Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Moxibustion

As an external treatment method of traditional Chinese medicine that has been passed down for thousands of years, moxibustion has a clear effect on improving various problems caused by cold constitution, chronic pain, and insufficient Yang Qi. It has a low threshold for practice and is suitable for home health care. However, it is by no means a "magic formula" that can cure all diseases. If the symptoms are not correct, using the wrong method may put a burden on the body.

Last week, my second aunt came to me with a bagful of thick moxa sticks. She said that she heard from the square dance sisters that moxibustion replenishes yang, and she baked Guanyuan on her stomach every day at home for forty minutes. After baking for half a month, Lao Han's legs were not healed. Instead, her mouth was full of ulcers and her throat was so sore that she couldn't even sing square dance songs. As soon as I felt her pulse, she had a typical constitution of hot upper body and cold lower part. Just looking at her upper body to replenish yang, the fire was floating all over her head and face. How could she not get angry? Later, she was given 15 minutes of moxibustion on her knee eyes and Yanglingquan each time, and finally another 5 minutes of moxibustion on the Yongquan to draw the fire down. After only three moxibustion sessions, her knees were no longer stiff when she squatted down to pick vegetables, and her ulcers were almost gone.

Speaking of which, there have been arguments in two directions in the moxibustion circle, and no one can convince anyone. One sect is the emphasis on moxibustion that has been passed down from ancient times. I used to consult an old moxibustionist from Anhui Province who gave moxibustion to Feishu on a patient who had suffered from chronic asthma for more than ten years. The moxibustion was done until small translucent blisters appeared in the local area, which the elders called "moxibustion flowers". They said this was a sign of the discharge of evil spirits. After continuous moxibustion for 20 days, many people did not even cough when autumn and winter changed seasons. That kind of moxibustion may last forty to fifty minutes in a single session, and the firepower is sufficient. It is indeed effective in targeted treatment of old and chronic diseases. The other type is the light moxibustion type commonly used in health care centers on the market. Each time, gentle moxibustion is performed for ten to twenty minutes. The moxa stick is two or three centimeters away from the skin. It does not pursue moxibustion sores, but relies on the warm heat to slowly penetrate into the meridians. It is especially suitable for young people who usually have cold hands and feet, stiff shoulders and necks, and cold sweats due to period pain. It is not burdensome for young people to do daily maintenance. In fact, there is no right or wrong between the two schools. They are just suitable for different people. If you have an old problem for many years, it is no problem to find a professional doctor to treat it with heavy moxibustion. If you just want to maintain your health on a daily basis, light moxibustion is enough. There is no need to pursue "the hotter, the more effective". In the end, it is not worth soaking your feet until you are hot.

Oh, by the way, there are still many people who think that moxibustion can be used as long as the condition is "deficient", but this is really not the case. A while ago, a little girl born in 1995 came to me and said that she always had insomnia, hot palms and soles, and night sweats at night. After reading a health blogger saying that moxibustion replenishes qi and blood, she moxibustioned Mingmen and Guanyuan at home every day for a week. She had insomnia until three in the morning and had two nosebleeds. She has a typical case of Yin deficiency and fire exuberance. She has very little fluid in her body. If she is roasted by fire, won't it just add fuel to the fire? In this case, let alone moxibustion, eating two spicy bites will cause internal heat. Drinking Ophiopogon japonicus and Polygonatum japonicus water for a few days is better than anything else.

Another controversial point is moxa smoke. Some people say that moxa smoke is good for sterilizing, while others say that moxa smoke causes cancer and should not be touched. I have previously checked relevant research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Low-concentration moxa smoke does have the effect of killing germs in the air. In the past, when disinfectants were not available, many traditional Chinese medicine clinics would smoke moxa sticks to disinfect them during New Years and holidays. However, if the concentration is too high and inhaled in large amounts for a long time, it will indeed irritate the respiratory tract, and may also cause discomfort for people with asthma or chronic pharyngitis. When I do moxibustion at home, I always open a small slit for ventilation, or I put a small smoke exhauster facing the moxa sticks. I don't close the doors and windows so that the whole room is filled with smoke, and even my hair is smelled of moxa. If you really mind smoking, you can use smokeless moxa sticks or electronic moxibustion devices. You don’t have to force yourself to smell the smoke for “serious moxibustion”.

I usually sit in the outpatient department for a day writing medical records, and my shoulders and neck are as hard as slate. When I get home from get off work, I take a mini moxibustion box and put it on the Dazhui point for 10 minutes. The warm air flows along my neck to my shoulders. It is more effective than ten baby warmers. But if I eat too much hot pot recently and develop mouth ulcers, or suffer from constipation and toothache, I will never touch moxibustion. I will boil some chrysanthemum and honeysuckle water and drink it, and it will be fine in two days.

In fact, after all, health care is a very personal matter, and moxibustion is the same. If you feel comfortable all over and your hands and feet are warm after moxibustion, then it is a good method for you. If you feel dry mouth and unable to sleep after moxibustion, don't just believe in the "disease elimination reaction" and try to stop and ask a reliable Chinese doctor. It is better than anything else. After all, we maintain health for comfort, not for suffering, right?