Moxibustion is another ancient Chinese medicine technique which involves the burning of mugwort to facilitate healing. The Chinese character for acupuncture, translated literally, means "acupuncture-moxibustion.
Moxibustion is used to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health. The sensation that moxa produces is a pleasant heat that penetrates deep into the skin. In traditional Chinese medicine, moxibustion is used on people who have a cold or stagnant condition. The burning of moxa expels cold and warms the meridians, which leads to smoother flow of blood and qi. Moxibustion has successfully been used to turn breech babies into a normal head-down position prior to childbirth. A study published in JAMA in 1998 found that up to 75% of women suffering from breech presentations before childbirth had fetuses that rotatedto the normal position after receiving moxibustion at an acupuncture point on the small toe.
