What Is Moxibustion?

Moxibustion, called “moxa” for short, is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) healing modality. It has been used for thousands of years, usually in partnership with acupuncture, to promote a balanced flow of energy (Qi) through the body’s 12 meridians. Instead of needles or pressure that activate certain meridians or pressure points, moxa implements the combination of heat and the properties of an herb called mugwort. 

The Benefits Of Moxibustion Explained

The body’s meridians and the flow of life force/energy that moves through those meridians form the foundation of TCM. When energy flow is blocked, lethargic, or too fast, we are more prone to illness and disease. An excess of cold or heat in the body also causes problems, which moxibustion can address. Poor or imbalanced energy flow affects every aspect of our health, including the mental and emotional. TCM understands that all things are connected, so balance, equanimity, and homeostasis are the primary goals of TCM healing modalities. 

Most people are familiar with acupuncture, a form of pain-free healing and wellness maintenance, using small needles that are inserted at specific points along the meridians. Moxa works in alignment with acupuncture. However, instead of needles, we use small, dried bundles of mugwort (artemisia) that are lit to a smoldering heat point. The resulting heat and mugwort smoke warms and loosens frozen or blocked points while detoxing the body at that same time.

What Will I Feel During A Moxibustion Treatment?

There are two different types of moxibustion: direct and indirect. With the direct method, we place mugwort cones directly on your skin at specific locations. The cones are lit similarly to incense - smoldering smoke, rather than flame - and left in place. Patients feel a warm sensation - never burning - under the cones, and we leave them to burn for a while, removing them before the heat is too intense. Most patients feel a warmth that blooms and travels along the pathway we’re treating - physical proof of moxibustion at work.

The indirect method leaves space between the patient and the moxa. This might mean burning moxa cones close to their bodies but not touching them or sometimes placing the moxa cone on top of an acupuncture needle - causing a more powerful warming and stimulation effect. Your acupuncture practitioner determines which is right for you based on your diagnosis and goals.

Why Mugwort For Moxibustion?

Before we move into the benefits of moxibustion, we want to shine the spotlight on mugwort. Artemisia is a member of the daisy family. It has a long and robust history as a healing agent in cultures all around the world. Historically, mugwort has been used in tonics, teas, foods, tinctures, powders, and moxibustion-like practices. Today, physicians, nutritionists, and homeopaths often prescribe mugwort capsules or pills in order to relieve, support, or treat:

• Digestive problems

• Irregular menstruation

• High blood pressure

• Liver toxicity or disease

• Anxiety or sleep issues

Creams and lotions continuing mugwort are also used by physicians, dermatologists, and estheticians to treat scars. This acknowledgment of moxibustion and mugwort’s healing properties by Western medicine has made it more acceptable - and more readily available - at acupuncture clinics around the nation. 

Now, acupuncture and moxibustion are widely used to provide multiple health benefits, including reproductive and fertility support.

5 Benefits Of Moxibustion For Health & Fertility

The bullet point list above serves as good reference points as we move into five ways moxibustion can support you and your healthcare plan. 

Digestive support

Digestive issues are typically rooted in two things: overall inflammation - frequently caused by unmanaged stress - and a diminished population of healthy gut flora and fauna. Lack of digestive flow causes a wide range of peripheral health issues, including malnourishment, fatigue, and compromised immunity.

The combination of moxa, acupuncture, and nutritional support (using nutrient-dense bone broths and supplements), greatly reduces and can completely eliminate digestive discomfort, including chronic diarrhea or constipation. It is regularly used to treat patients with Crohn’s and other forms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Regulating irregular menstrual cycles

Irregular menstruation is never normal and almost always means there is some type of hormonal imbalance at work. This could mean excess androgens (male hormones) common for women with PCOS, high estrogen levels, or blood sugar imbalances that throw insulin and other hormones out of whack. In addition, irregular menstruation means irregular ovulation, which negatively impacts fertility. 

We work with patients using lifestyle changes, regular acupuncture, and moxibustion to restore energetic flow, allowing the body to rest and calibrate hormone production. As a result, many patients experience regular menstrual cycles within a few months of treatments. 

Pain reduction (especially due to inflammation or arthritis)

Patients with joint pain or athletic injuries, as well as those with arthritis, find regular moxibustion treatments to relieve pain. In many cases, moxibustion for pain relief means greatly reducing medication doses or staying off pain relievers entirely for long periods of time (or for good). 

If you seek acupuncture or moxibustion for pain management, we may also recommend adding an acupressure massage to your treatment package at certain intervals.

Improved ovarian function

Studies have shown that the warming properties, in addition to increased circulation and energy flow, also support better ovary function. An article published in the National Library of Medicine states, “Modern medical research suggests that moxibustion can improve ovarian function by inhibiting apoptotic events of naturally aging ovaries and enhancing antioxidant defense ability. 

Improved circulation and blood flow to, in, and around the reproductive organs support regulated menstrual cycles and healthier eggs, which improve fertility chances both with or without assisted reproductive technology.

Turns breech babies around

Moxibustion is proven to help breech babies turn around and load into the birth channel in the right position. This is a huge relief for many women, supporting their goals for natural labor and delivery, delivery free of interventions, or home birth. 

Add Moxibustion To Your Plan For Wellbeing

Are you interested in learning more about how moxibustion can support your health and well-being? Are you seeking acupuncture for fertility treatments and curious about whether moxa can help? Schedule a consultation with Mitchell Family Acupuncture. We create personalized acupuncture and moxa schedules designed to restore balance, health, and well-being in your body - and to support fertility health.

How Acupressure Massage Along Meridians Can Be Beneficial

The art and science of massage are rooted in the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Various TCM modalities, including massages that focus on stimulating a series of “energetic highways” running through the human body.

We call these networks or highways “meridians,” and massaging them - along with specific pressure points along the meridians - benefits the human body, mind, and spirit. 

Integrating Acupressure Massage Stimulating Meridians Restores Health

Johns Hopkins Medicine has a concise explanation of TCM Basic, explaining that:

Its basic concept is that a vital force of life, called Qi, surges through the body.  Any imbalance to Qi can cause disease and illness. This imbalance is most commonly thought to be caused by an alteration in the opposite and complementary forces that make up the Qi. These are called yin and yang...Balance between health and disease is a key concept. TCM treatment seeks to restore this balance through treatment specific to the individual.

This is the premise we use as we treat patients using meridian massage, which restores energetic balance and flows through the body. Once the balance is restored, and toxins are flushed, most patients experience noticeable relief from chronic and acute pain and discomfort and find it easier to manage existing health conditions. In many cases, routine TCM treatments such as meridian massage also help them manage, reverse, or reduce existing illness, disease, or reproductive issues.

Worried About Acupuncture? Try Acupressure & Massage

Many of our patients opt to use acupuncture and massages stimulating the meridians as part of their wellness services plan. However, we also have our fair share of patients who are wary of acupuncture, especially those with a history of needle phobia. Specialized massages are a great first step into the TCM treatment realm. 

While it doesn’t use needles, our massages stimulate the same pressure points and meridians as we’d target using acupuncture, so the outcomes are very similar. While a meridian-focused massage will typically be a full-body experience (unless specified otherwise), we’ll use what we’ve learned from your initial visit to our clinic to customize the massage to meet your current health needs and future health goals.

Most Common Benefits Of Targeted Massage

Some of the most common and immediate benefits of targeted massages are:

Stress Reduction

As with other TCM techniques, our massages promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. The simple act of lying down in a relaxing environment does volumes for decreasing your heart rate, expanding your breaths, and allowing your parasympathetic nervous system to relax. 

From there, we utilize gentle, experienced massage techniques to move blocked energy and toxins out of the body. This helps cleanse the body of stress hormones (detox), allowing it to find its way back to natural hormone balance.

Reduced inflammation

Inflammation is an enemy of well-being. When the body has higher-than-normal levels of inflammation (often the result of chronic stress, poor diet, existing health conditions, etc.), the immune system goes on overdrive, and all of the body’s systems are compromised. Inflammation is also associated with almost all of the most common female infertility factors, like endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids, and autoimmune-related infertility.

The combination of healthy lifestyle choices and regular meridian massage appointments (or alternating massage with acupuncture or Qi Needle techniques, 

Improved sleep habits

Sleep is an integral part of your body’s health plan. Most cell restoration, healing, and hormone production/regulation occur when we sleep. Once your body’s energy is in better balance and stress levels are reduced, patients find they sleep better. This creates a waterfall of positive effects, including:

• Better focus and alertness throughout the day

• Improved moods

• Easier weight management (metabolism improves with healthy sleep)

• Fewer cravings (a tired/fatigued body is more likely to trigger sugar/snack cravings)

• Healthier immune response

If you have trouble sleeping, make sure you let us know. We’ll integrate sleep-supportive techniques and nutritional recommendations into your treatment plan.

Acupressure massage for fertility support

Not surprisingly, any healing modalities that reduce stress, minimize or eliminate inflammation, and improve sleep are likely to positively affect health conditions - including infertility. In addition to using personalized massage forms while trying to conceive independently, studies show that acupuncture and massage improve fertility treatment outcomes, particularly for women participating in IUI and IVF. 

While you can opt to use massage as a solo TCM technique, the best results are found when patients utilize the full spectrum of TCM modalities recommended by their clinician. This may include nutritional support, supplements, acupuncture, a variety of massage forms, Tai Chi, and more.

Schedule Your Fertility Massage At Mitchell Family Acupuncture

Would you like to learn more about massage benefits or how traditional Chinese medicine can support your overall health and well-being? Schedule an appointment with Mitchell Family Acupuncture for a massage today. We are happy to work in partnership with your existing healthcare providers, so there’s no need to choose between east and west; as we’ve already noted - it’s all about gracious balance!

A Review of Acupuncture’s Effect on Reproductive Hormones and the Uterus

Here at Mitchell Family Acupuncture, we have no doubts about the efficacy of our treatments as we’ve seen firsthand how acupuncture has changed the lives of our patients over the years.

Still, as enthusiastic as we are, we recognize the science of acupuncture has its skeptics, so we are always excited by real studies and proof that what we do does get results, particularly when it comes to women’s health.

Our very own Dr. Hana Lurie, L.Ac., DAOM shares in this journal entry a paper published in The Journal of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine.

Here’s an excerpt from the paper

Acupuncture is used to treat a vast array of reproductive and gynecological conditions. Though acupuncture seems to be effective in treating these conditions, often its mechanism of action is unclear. This begs the question: what is acupuncture’s direct effect on our reproductive physiology? In reviewing current research, it is clear that acupuncture regulates the reproductive system via hormone pathways, as well as directly affecting the uterus. 

Some of acupuncture’s direct actions on the uterus are structural, such as angiogenesis and endometrial thickness, while others are on a functional level such as strength and intervals of uterine contractions. Hormonally, acupuncture has been shown to alter levels of progesterone and prolactin serum levels, FSH, LH, estradiol levels, testosterone, and more. Perhaps as a result of regulating a patient’s hormone levels, mood and mental-emotional status also appear to improve with acupuncture.

Read the full document here:

A Review of Acupuncture’s Effect on Reproductive Hormones and the Uterus

What to Expect From Your First Acupuncture Appointment

Your first visit to an acupuncturist is a big deal. For some patients, a first acupuncture appointment is also their first experience with the concept of integrated medicine that dates back thousands of centuries, even if it’s only recently been accepted by western medicine traditions.

We’ve put together this brief guide of what you can expect. And, of course, we always encourage you to reach out and contact us here at Mitchell Family Acupuncture to ask any questions or share any concerns you have.  

8 Things You Can Expect From a First Acupuncture Visit

Our intention is to make you feel at ease and as confident as possible about your upcoming appointment. Here are 8 things you can expect - and look forward to - as you anticipate your first acupuncture visit.

1. Welcome the experience of feeling truly heard

For many of our patients, the first appointment is also their first time to truly feel seen, heard, and understood by their healthcare provider. Most traditional medicine offices place marked time constraints, and insurance providers “cap” visit times to as little as 20 minutes. We’re not making that up! According to findings published in the National Library of Medicine, the median length of allotted appointment time for primary care visits was 15.7 minutes.

That is not the way Chinese medicine and acupuncture work. Your first appointment will take about 90 minutes from start to finish. 

As a healing modality that takes a whole-body approach to healing, our goal in this first visit is to get to know you and all we can about your needs. That’s the only way to create the personalized treatment approach we’ll use for your health plan. Our hope is that you’ll feel truly heard and witnessed. We’re as interested in the concerns of your heart as we are in the health of your body, as the two are closely intertwined.

2. Lots of intentional questions (that we hope you’ll answer honestly)

Yes, you’ll have already finished a complete questionnaire where you provided lots of information about your medical history and current concerns/health goals. However, it’s one thing to type answers in a box and another to speak face-to-face with a dedicated healing practitioner.

We’ll review your submitted answers closely. However, during your first appointment, we’ll also ask some of them again. Sometimes patients remember things they forgot to include, or their body language may provide more information than their text. Also, we’ll have additional questions for you to answer, many of which your primary physician may have never asked. 

Sleep habits

• Urinary/bowel habits

• Digestive history or complaints

• Stress levels and response

• Reproductive history

• Sex life/libido

• Menstrual cycle

• Recent/historic life challenges, big experiences, losses, traumas, or grief

Please answer as honestly and transparently as possible. Anything that pops up should be spoken to as your “body keeps the score,” and there may be something your inner-knowing feels is important to support our care plan for you.

There is nothing you can say that will shock us or cast judgment. Your honesty is part of the healing process, and we take what we learn to tenderly explore the options that will provide the most nourishing, sustainable, and effective results. What we really want is to truly know you and your story. 

3. A pulse and tongue exam

Chinese medicine uses a variety of diagnostics to inform us about the body, internal organ function, stress levels, the biome (microflora and fauna), and more. To read the body’s messaging, we will take your pulse and examine your tongue, in addition to other assessments common to a basic physical exam.

It is from this big-picture approach to physical assessment that we target the Chinese herbs, supplements, acupuncture, or other healing modalities to support your current needs.  

4. The ability to completely relax and let go

One of the first things patients do when they enter our office and treatment rooms is to take a big, deep breath. This is a tremendous compliment to us, a sign their body automatically intuits the space as safe, relaxing, and supportive.

Here, there is no reason to hang on to any tension, worry, or stress. Time spent in our office is your chance to put all of that on the shelf, where it can remain as we work to unblock, open, and restore the body back to balance. 

5. A pain-free acupuncture experience

By and large, pain or fear of needles is our first-time patients' top concern. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about either. First, acupuncture is not painful. The needles are very fine, and they only penetrate deep enough to interact with the body’s energy flow (called Qi, pronounced chee). At the very most, you may feel an occasional, gentle prick that immediately recedes. If your fear of needles or pain prevails, that is no problem.

Instead, we can use Qi Needle Treatments, which don’t use needles at all. Instead, we apply gentle pressure to key meridian points along the body. This activates energy similarly to acupuncture without needles. When you’re ready for needles, we’ll move to acupuncture.

6. Healing may occur beyond what you expected

Most of the time, the “whole body” approach to acupuncture means you’ll benefit in ways you never expected. For example, you may come in to treat migraines and find you also end up benefiting from deeper and more healthy sleep habits. Or, acupuncture for fertility may have been your primary goal, yet you find the results have completely rebalanced your stress levels and digestion in addition to supporting your fertility. 

We hope the healing you experience here goes beyond whatever ailment or discomfort brought you here.

7. You (often) get to keep your clothes on

In most cases acupuncture sessions can be done with your clothes on. As we mentioned above, your comfort and sense of security are a primary concern, so we’ll work patiently with you to ensure your body says “Yes,” before trying any of our recommended healing treatments, ranging from acupuncture and Qi Needle techniques to massage, moxibustion therapy, meridian massage, abdominal massage, herbal recommendations and nutritional/lifestyle advice.

8. Your next appointment might be different

Because we utilize an array of healing modalities, and the body is always changing, no two visits are exactly alike. Regardless of the care plan we create for you, we’re always attuned to what’s going on for you from visit to visit - and we alternate healing treatments accordingly.

Contact Mitchell Family Acupuncture to Put Your Concerns to Rest

Do you have additional questions or concerns about what to expect from your first acupuncture appointment? Please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Mitchell Family Acupuncture, 510-558-0117. We don’t want you to spend a single minute worrying about it. Instead, get the answers you need to step further into your most calm and ready-for-healing self.