Moxibustion is an ancient medical therapy that involves heating the body usually over specific acupuncture points or through the Ontake method it can be applied along the channels thereby warming them and releasing tension in the muscles.
Specifically, it is the herb mug wort that is warmed in the shape of small cones over acupuncture points or in the case of the Ontake method the mugwort is packed into a small piece of bamboo and then the bamboo is applied to the body using a variety of manual/massage style techniques.
When heat is applied to the body it promotes the flow of qi and blood. In the case of mug wort, however, this herb has healing properties that enable it to treat a wide variety of conditions including muscle and joint pain, gynecological conditions such as menstrual cycle irregularities, digestive disorders and body fatigue to name just a few. Moxibustion is also known to help regulate the nervous system as well as boost the function of the immune system. In short, this treatment modality can be used by itself or in conjunction with acupuncture needles.