2. Vacuity Qi Desertion
3. Muscle Spasm
4. Angina Pectoris
5. Cholecystalgia
6. Renal Colic
7. Epistaxis (Spontaneous External Bleeding)
8. Hematochezia (Bloody Stool)
9. Haematuria (Bloody Urine)
1. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
2. Sub-health State
3. Anti-ageing
4. Obesity
5. Post Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy Side Effects
6. Smoking Cessation
7. Drug Cessation
8. Alcohol Cessation
9. Poor Acclimatization
10. Motion Sickness
11. Altitude Sickness
Preface
Traditional Chinese moxatherapy, part of the field of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, has been held in high regard by physicians in China over many dynasties and occupies an important position in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) today. Several thousand years of clinical experience have affirmed the ancient saying: ‘When acupuncture doesn’t work, moxibustion will.’ In the theory of moxibustion, the surface of the body is stimulated by heat either produced by certain combustible materials or by applying medicinals directly to the skin. The heat or medicinal stimulation warms and opens the channels thereby expelling cold pathogens; this function can be used to both cure and prevent illness. As a simple, safe and effective treatment method, it is welcomed by patients and physicians alike.
This book presents a comprehensive introduction to Chinese moxatherapy. In three parts and 13 chapters, it covers the history and theory, basic skills and techniques, and clinical applications of moxatherapy. As obtaining a sound understanding of the basic skills and techniques is essential for effective and safe clinical application, these constitute a key aspect of the study of moxatherapy. In this book the illustrations and text present a starting point for learning the clinical skills and techniques needed for application in the clinical setting. This is a highly practical text that is appropriate for students, practitioners and teachers of TCM, both in China and around the world, who wish to quickly and effectively gain a command of moxatherapy. Furthermore, it is an important reference book for those involved in moxatherapy research.
Here, the authors wish to express their gratitude to Zhong Jue, Li Xin, Meng Qing-Ling, and others, who offered support during the editing process. Although this book represents the authors’ best efforts, they also extend their thanks to those who provide valuable comments and criticism, in the hope of producing an improved revised edition.
Disclaimer
The more extreme methods described in this book, such as burning and scarring techniques, may not be suitable in the Western clinical setting but are, nonetheless, part of the practice as a whole. These sections have been indicated with an asterisk throughout the book. Readers should always consult a qualified medical practitioner before incorporating any of the therapies mentioned in this book into their treatment plan, whether conventional, complementary or alternative. Neither the author nor the publisher takes any responsibility for any consequences of any decision made as a result of the information contained in this book.
Synopsis
This book presents a comprehensive introduction to Chinese moxatherapy. In three parts and 13 chapters, it covers the history and theory, basic skills and techniques, and clinical applications of moxabustion therapy. In Part I the basic knowledge of moxatherapy, locations and indications for commonly used acupoints, and moxibustion for health cultivation are presented. Part II focuses on the materials, manufacture and operational functions of each type of moxibustion. Part III introduces the clinical applications of moxibustion in the treatment of internal medicine, traumatology, paediatrics, gynaecology, surgery, ear, nose and throat (ENT) and acute diseases. For each condition, the primary patterns, acupoints and moxibustion methods are provided.
PART I
Foundation of Moxibustion
CHAPTER 1
Basic Theory of Moxibustion
1. The Origins and Development of Moxibustion
1.1 THE ORIGINS OF MOXIBUSTION
Moxibustion treatment methods did not arise as a result of subjective imagination or conjecture, but rather developed gradually over hundreds and thousands of years of clinical experience and exploration. The origins of this therapeutic method reach back to the age of primitive society and a description of its earliest form can be found in the chapter Dao Fa Fang Yi Lun from the ancient text Su Wen: ‘The North is where heaven and earth are hidden; it is a land of high mountains, wind, cold and ice. The people of the North love the wild and consume dairy. Cold in the zang organs gives birth to repletion disease; the treatment is moxibustion. Hence, the North is the source of moxibustion.’ This text shows that moxibustion was first used in the North, and its use dates from after the discovery of fire by humankind. The discovery of fire was an essential factor in the emergence of moxatherapy. In the harsh environment endured by early humankind, fire was an important weapon against cold and hunger, allowing early man to survive and propagate. Concurrently, it made possible the conditions necessary for the creation of moxibustion. The lives of early humans, a social animal, revolved around fire for cooking and warming properties. In their daily lives they found that discomfort and pain could be relieved or even cured outright by the heat and smoke of fire (Figure 1.1.1).
As humankind developed powers of cognitive thinking and exploration, this unintentional discovery gradually became a method of using heat stimulation to treat disease. Humankind gradually collected experiences that supported certain theories, such as the application of heat to the abdomen to relieve abdominal pain and rumbling caused by exposure to cold, and the use of smoke fumigation of the joints to relieve joint pain due to cold and damp, for example (Figure 1.1.2). What started as accidental success became the intentional and deliberate use of fire to treat and prevent disease; and moxibustion became a stand-alone external treatment method. It was recognized, accepted, and further developed by later generations into the comprehensive treatment modality of today.
Figure 1.1.1. Primitive Man Relied on Fire for Warmth