A brief overview, and my personal experience with moxa

Moxibustion

An Overview

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) technique which using the burning of mugwort. There are several varieties; Direct, both scarring and non scarring, where the moxa is placed directly on the skin and burned until it becomes too hot, or with the scarring method it is left to burn completely. Indirect utilizes moxa poles, moxa on an insulating medium, warming the needle, and warming instruments. It can be used with needles and is commonly paired with acupuncture. Non scarring and indirect styles are what we commonly see here in America. In TCM the aim is to free qi and blood, disperse cold, eliminate damp, and warm yang. It moves things that are stuck, and causes activity. It is also known for it’s ability to ward off disease.

Common Uses

Moxibustion can treat many conditions, including:

• Headaches/Migraines• Back Pain• Joint and Wrist Pain• Muscular Tension• Digestive Irregularities • Irritable Bowel Syndrome• Menstrual Problems• Elimination Problems• Neck Pain• Shoulder Pain• Stress Relief and Stress Management• Tinnitus• Insomnia

Skin conditions

Moxibustion is well known for it's use in dealing with skin conditions, such as bruising, cuts, whiteheads, and psoriasis. In these cases, a moxa pole is used for usually 5-15 minutes to indirectly apply heat over the affected area. It brings blood and Qi to the area which accelerates the healing. It also works to pull toxins out of boils.

Muscular Tension and Pain

Moxibustion does wonders for shoulder and back pain. The warmth from the moxa penetrates deep into the muscles and has a very soothing effect. Moxa also breaks up stagnation and invigorates the blood, which can help relieve the ache. Just by bringing awareness and healing energy to your pain you can sometimes help release it.

Moxibustion for Energy & Mood

A Personal Experience

This is something I've seen be very effective in myself. I have Lymes Disease and suffer from chronic fatigue and occasional low mood. Moxa has some very nice energetic properties. In class we practiced an indirect technique called a belly bowl. The moxa was in hollow stick form and placed in a small bowl which kept it raised slightly from my skin. The bowl had holes in it to enable the heat and smoke travel deep into my core.

We did this outside on a wonderful sunny March day. After Cynthia, my teacher, lit the moxa and placed it in the bowl it was set about an inch above my navel. Within the first minute I started feeling a sensation, as if there was a spring in my core and it was tightening slowly. I felt myself being filled with potential energy.

This sensation continued on even after the moxa was removed, and I was extremely energized all week. I was more motivated than I had been all season. This led to me getting many tasks done that I had been putting off, even a few hiking trips over the next two weeks. I felt great and I give credit to moxa. I would be interested to know if anyone else with chronic fatigue sees results with this. Please feel free to leave a comment with your experiences and any questions.

Contraindications

Moxa should not be used on anyone who is fasting, has just overeaten, or is intoxicated. Pregnant women should not receive moxibustion on their abdomen or lower back, and all other use should be performed by professional. Moxa should not be used any where that is inflamed or exhibiting fire signs. It should also not be used over blood vessels, arteries, mucus membranes, prominent skin creases, or anywhere on the face. It is not to be used over an active tumor. Anyone with an aggressive personality or in an irritable state should not use it either, it can be too invigorating. Not contraindicated but use caution with high blood pressure. A note for belly bowl moxa, if you are near your cycle it can jump start it.

Sources:

Fundamentals of Chinese Acupuncture by Ellis - Wiseman - Boss

http://www.quiet-island.com/moxibustion.html

http://www.sharecare.com/health/acupuncture/what-is-moxibustion

http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/moxibustion

http://www.xojane.com/newagey/ill-try-anything-once-diy-moxibustion

http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/freshliving/2009/07/have-you-tried-moxa.html

Cabbage Pasta Recipe - Delicious!

Some of the most important vegetables to add into our regular diet are:

• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts

When eaten on a regular basis and in sufficient quantity, it can be difficult to have certain cancers in our digestive system.  These incredible veggies just keep our system too clean and detoxified, and also very importantly help to cleanse our blood.

From a Chinese medicine point of view, our blood is a highly spiritual aspect of our physical body.  It is the substance ruled by our Heart – the special place that “houses our Spirit”. I like to think of it as the messenger that carries divine insight to every cell of our entire being.

When our blood is abundant and pure it is very easy for us to experience deep happiness and joy, regular belly laughter, and an intense satisfaction and wonder with life.

When our blood is deficient or impure we can find ourselves overly tired, stressed out, agitated, and restless. It’s very difficult to feel happy and full of life in this state.  Going even further, too many toxicities in the blood can engender states of cruelty, violence, and extreme acts of hate.

Here’s a very easy cabbage recipe I’d like to share.  (I’ll add a picture next time I make it).  I like to use the Juniper Berries because they go great with cabbage, and they help to heal our hearts.  The medicinal mushrooms are included because they have an amazing effect on our blood, immune system,  AND they are delicious.  Enjoy!

Cabbage Pasta

1 head green cabbage, sliced into thin strips

1 Maitake mushroom, or 8 shiitake mushrooms (reconstituted if dried), chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1-2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp freshly ground juniper berries

hot pepper to taste (optional)

2 cups cooked whole grain spaghetti noodles (break the noodles into 2-3 inch pieces before cooking)

Directions:

In a frying pan (cast iron works great), heat the olive oil and when hot sauté the cabbage, mushrooms, and garlic.  When almost done (about 10 minutes) add the spaghetti noodles, stir, then add the soy sauce and sauté about 2 minutes longer.  Turn off the heat and add the juniper berries and hot pepper.

Use this as an alternative to regular spaghetti and top with your favorite sauce, meatballs, or other veggies.

Chronic Fatigue Findings

Instead of blogging on my case study, I offer this. I found it very interesting. Especially the end comment that this virus was also found in prostate cancer patients.

Makes one think...

Monday August 23, 2010

Bloomberg
Chronic Fatigue Linked to Mouse Virus in U.S. Government StudyAugust 23, 2010, 3:13 PM EDT

By Michelle Fay Cortez
Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Almost 90 percent of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome showed signs of infection with a novel mouse virus in a U.S. government study, raising fresh questions about the cause and treatment of the debilitating condition.
Researchers from the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and Harvard Medical School found the virus in blood samples taken from 32 of 37 patients with the syndrome, bolstering a finding with a related virus last year. The new infectious agent was also found in three of 44 samples from healthy blood donors, according to the study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It was the first time the mouse virus has been found in people or in the blood supply, deepening the mystery surrounding CFS, a condition that affects more than 1 million Americans, mainly women ages 30 to 50. A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had said there was no sign of the virus in a similar study earlier this year. Those results were confirmed by the current FDA researchers, who analyzed some the CDC’s samples using their own laboratory methods.
“The study doesn’t prove these viruses are the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome,” said Celia Witten, director of the FDA’s Office of Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies, who oversees the lab where the research was conducted. “More research is needed.”
Testing Drugs
Antiviral drugs, including Merck & Co.’s Isentress and Gilead Sciences Inc.’s Viread, should be used to treat the patients to see if it gives them any respite, French and Canadian researchers wrote in an editorial accompanying the study.
While there isn’t sufficient proof that the mouse viruses cause chronic fatigue syndrome, a study showing whether antiviral drugs are an effective treatment could help confirm the hypothesis, said the doctors led by Valerie Courgnaud, from the University of Montpellier in France.
There is no evidence that the viruses are transmitted by blood transfusions or that they lead to any type of human disease or illness, Witten said in a telephone interview.
There are no specific tools to pinpoint chronic fatigue syndrome, which is typically diagnosed after patients experience extreme fatigue for at least six months. The condition is marked by a relapse of symptoms after mental or physical exertion, sleep that doesn’t refresh, and joint and muscle pain.
The link between chronic fatigue and the retroviruses was identified previously by a team led by Vincent Lombardi of the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease, in Reno, Nevada, and published in October in the journal Science. The researchers analyzed the genes in tissue samples collected from 101 patients with chronic fatigue, and in 68 the scientists found evidence of a related virus known as XMRV. The virus was also identified in some prostate-cancer patients.
--Editors: Donna Alvarado, Jeffrey Tannenbaum
To contact the reporter on this story: Michelle Fay Cortez in Minneapolis at mcortez@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net

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