Moxibustion

In moxibustion, the term "one-strength" frequently appears.

It is an important unit of measurement in moxibustion. Each time a moxa cone is lit and moxibustion is performed, it is called one moxibustion session.

Zhuang originally refers to a person in his prime. In moxibustion, Zhuang is used to calculate the amount of moxibustion, which is usually based on a person in his prime.

One "zhuang" is made by kneading moxa wool into a small ball about 1cm in size, placing it on a slice of ginger, lighting it, and letting it burn out. This process takes about 3 to 5 minutes.

Of course, the methods of making moxibustion sticks are different, and the scale is also different; some are larger, and some are smaller.

When using moxibustion for fitness or treatment, the number of moxibustion sessions required usually depends on the specific circumstances of the individual being treated.

For people with weak constitutions or those suffering from chronic or serious illnesses, the moxa cones used should be smaller than those for a standard adult, and the number of moxa cones used should also be fewer.

For those with strong constitutions or those experiencing initial or minor illnesses, larger moxa cones can be used, and more moxibustion sessions can be performed. It's common to see moxibustion sessions ranging from one or a few to hundreds or even thousands of times.

This is also often mentioned in ancient books.

Moxibustion typically uses some commonly used acupoints for health maintenance, such as Guanyuan (CV4) and Zusanli (ST36).

For example, commonly used acupoints, such as Guanyuan acupoint.

For both men and women suffering from general weakness, apply moxibustion to the area below the navel for 300 cones.

For edema in both men and women, apply moxibustion 500 times below the navel.

For carbuncles with bone erosion, apply moxibustion three hundred times below the navel.

These three ailments can be treated by applying intense moxibustion to the Guanyuan acupoint for hundreds of sessions; such a treatment is rarely seen in today's society.

Su Ziyang picked up his notebook and began typing rapidly, preparing this document on moxibustion.

"Hey bro. How's my sister-in-law's moxibustion training going?"

Su Ziyang typed for a while, then remembered that he should say a few words to his sister-in-law and ask what was going on.

"It just so happens that your sister-in-law just got back today. Let her tell you herself."

My cousin handed the phone to his wife.

"Hey, Ziyang. Haha, you're still thinking about me?"

My sister-in-law is an outgoing person, and she took the phone and started chatting with Su Ziyang.

"I studied with that old lady for a while, and then I came back. She mainly does moxibustion, using moxa wool. She makes her own moxa wool. Each time, she twists a piece of moxa wool the size of a grain of rice and applies it directly to the acupoints. She mainly does moxibustion on some common acupoints, like Zusanli and Guanyuan."

"Oh, okay." Su Ziyang nodded, having grasped the old lady's general level of understanding, knowing that his actions were not superfluous.

Because if my cousin's family were experts in moxibustion, wouldn't my actions be just showing off my limited skills, and a bit unnecessary?

"Sister-in-law, I'm going to write down some commonly used acupoints for moxibustion, which can be used for both health maintenance and treatment. I'll send them to my cousin's phone so you can print them out and take a look."

Su Ziyang shared his thoughts, and his cousin-in-law was overjoyed. "That's wonderful, thank you. When you're on vacation, your brother and I will treat you to a meal."

"You're too kind, sister-in-law. I've finished writing it and will send it to my brother. That's all for now, sister-in-law."

After hanging up the phone, Su Ziyang began to seriously organize the information.

After tidying up for a while, Su Ziyang suddenly realized that what he had done was a bit too much.

Because it's too professional and too much like a "disease," it's clearly not something a small moxibustion health center can handle.

Su Ziyang swiped the mouse and looked back at the words he had just typed.

"For chronic spleen malaria, moxibustion at the Mingguan point for 500 times."

For pulmonary typhoid fever, apply moxibustion 300 times below the navel.

For qi syncope and corpse syncope, moxibustion should be applied to the Zhongwan acupoint for 500 cones.

For wind-dampness in the throat, apply moxibustion three hundred times below the navel.

For jaundice with yellowing or blackening, apply moxibustion to the Mingguan point for 200 times.

For acute or chronic infantile convulsions, moxibustion should be applied to the Zhongwan acupoint for 400 cones.

For elderly people experiencing urinary and fecal incontinence, apply moxibustion 300 times below the navel.

For an elderly person experiencing shortness of breath, apply moxibustion 300 times below the navel.

For chronic athlete's foot, moxibustion at the Yongquan acupoint for fifty cones.

For postpartum dizziness due to blood stasis, moxibustion at the Zhongwan acupoint for fifty cones.

For abdominal pain during the hot summer months, apply moxibustion to the area below the navel for thirty cones.

If a person is possessed by a ghost or evil spirit, apply moxibustion to the Juque acupoint (CV14) for fifty times and below the navel for three hundred times.

If a woman has pus discharge from below or below her navel, apply moxibustion to the area below the navel for 300 cones.

If a woman experiences unexplained convulsions and fainting, moxibustion should be applied to the Zhongwan acupoint for fifty cones.

For those suffering from chronic hunchback and inability to straighten, apply moxibustion to the navel point for one hundred cones.

If a person is feeling dizzy and disoriented due to a nightmare, apply moxibustion to the Qian Ding acupoint fifty times.

If a woman experiences a miscarriage, prolonged illness can lead to weakness and edema. In such cases, moxibustion should be applied 300 times below the navel.

If a death pulse or a malignant pulse is observed, immediately apply moxibustion to the area below the navel for 500 cones.

For postpartum abdominal distension and edema in women, apply moxibustion to the Mingguan point (GV7) and below the navel (GV12) for 100 cones and 300 cones respectively.

For a dark complexion due to kidney deficiency, apply moxibustion 500 times below the navel.

For vomiting and loss of appetite, moxibustion should be applied to the Zhongwan acupoint for fifty cones.

If a woman's postpartum fever persists, it may develop into tuberculosis; immediately apply moxibustion three hundred times below the navel.

No, no, Su Ziyang rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and quickly rejected this terrible idea.

I removed some of the overly technical parts, leaving only the simple and easy-to-understand parts.

For example, moxibustion on the Shenshu acupoint can help treat sequelae of stroke, such as loss of speech, hemiplegia, and so on.

The Shenshu acupoint is located 1.5 cun lateral to the Mingmen acupoint, which is directly opposite the navel. You can locate the Mingmen acupoint first, and then locate the Shenshu acupoint.

Generally, when locating acupoints, the method of "body measurement" is used, which means locating acupoints on one's own body using the joints on one's own body.

Acupoints can be located using either the body's own measurement method or the bone measurement method.

We can use the same size measurement; it's simple and convenient.

The "body inch" refers to the width of the first joint of the thumb, which is the same as the width of an acupoint on your own body.

The width of four fingers is 3 inches. The length of the first and second joints of the middle finger is also one inch.

Okay, we've gone off-topic again.

Returning to the Shenshu acupoint, the kidneys are the root of the body and the true source of innate essence; if the root is strong, one will not die.

Since strokes are often caused by insufficient Yang energy in the body, moxibustion at the Shenshu acupoint can replenish the body's original Yang energy. This is called replenishing Yang with fire.

Furthermore, regarding moxibustion on the Zusanli acupoint, Zusanli is a commonly used health-preserving acupoint that can be treated with moxibustion, massage, or acupressure.

Moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) can treat nearsightedness, blurred vision, lower back and leg pain, weakness in walking, and other ailments.

Here's a simple and accurate method for locating the Zusanli acupoint.

Sit on a stool with your lower legs hanging down naturally. Push along your shinbone from bottom to top, push, push, push... Suddenly you'll see a bend; that's the location of Zusanli (ST36).

For example, you can also use the Chengshan acupoint for health maintenance. The Chengshan acupoint is located below the calf; you can find it by extending your toes.

It can treat leg swelling, lower back and leg pain, and weakness when walking.

The Chengshan acupoint is located on the calf muscle, at the point where a sharp-angled depression appears below the belly of the gastrocnemius muscle when the calf is straightened or the heel is raised.

For example, the Yongquan acupoint is located on the sole of the foot, between the toes, in the depression.

Regularly applying moxibustion to this area can treat lower back and leg pain in the elderly.

Pain in the soles of the feet, pain in the calves, heaviness and swelling in the calves, and a feeling of heaviness and weakness in the legs when walking.

After organizing it in this way, Su Ziyang realized that what he had written was much more practical.

While it may not be suitable for medical personnel, it is extremely practical for this moxibustion health center.

After finishing writing, Su Ziyang sent the moxibustion information to his cousin.

My cousin-in-law learned moxibustion from her family, and with Su Ziyang's help, a small moxibustion health center slowly opened up, and the customer traffic was excellent.

My cousin's wife is a very honest and kind person, and she has won over a large number of middle-aged and elderly customers who are health-conscious.

Su Ziyang later made a special trip to his cousin's health and wellness shop to take a look, and it was indeed very busy.

Moreover, his cousin-in-law actually possessed a skill that surprised Su Ziyang: Scar Moxibustion.

Later, after asking his sister-in-law, Su Ziyang learned that her family used Scar Moxibustion.

The so-called Scar Moxibustion is also known as Scarring Moxibustion Suppurative Moxibustion.

It is a type of direct moxibustion. It involves directly burning moxa wool on the skin at acupoints, gradually causing suppuration and eventually forming scars.

Scarring Moxibustion can be said to be one of the oldest moxibustion methods in China, first mentioned in the "Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion": "To induce scarring, apply moxibustion to the affected area, and scarring will occur in three days."

The general procedure is to first pinpoint the acupoints before applying moxibustion, accurately locating the required acupoints.

Generally speaking, Scarring Moxibustion is not suitable for joints such as the head, face, knees, and elbows.

Scars on the head and face affect appearance, and scars around joints are also difficult to heal and can affect joint mobility.

During the procedure, the patient should be kept in a straight, comfortable, and sustainable position.

Expose the acupoint, accurately locate the acupoint, and mark it. After locating the acupoint, instruct the patient not to change position arbitrarily.

Apply a small amount of garlic juice or petroleum jelly to the skin surface of the acupoint before moxibustion.

Then place the moxa cone on the selected acupoint.

Generally, the size of the moxa cone should be about the size of a grain of wheat or a mung bean.

Next comes lighting it. Since the moxa stick is relatively small, it is inconvenient to light it directly with an open flame, so it is usually lit with incense sticks.

After lighting the moxa cone with incense, you should stay close to the patient so that you can handle any situation that may arise.

Another reason is that it's quite painful when the skin is directly burned.

When the patient feels pain, the person performing the moxibustion can gently pat the area around the acupoint to relieve the pain.

After the first moxa cone has burned out, use a clean cotton cloth to remove the ash before applying the second moxa cone.

If too many doses are needed, or the pain is excessive, auxiliary medications can be used, such as anesthetics prepared from traditional Chinese medicine.

Aconitum carmichaelii, Asarum heterotropoides, Sichuan pepper, and toad venom were soaked in 300 ml of 75% alcohol for 24 hours.

Applying this liquid to the skin can have a certain degree of anesthetic effect.

In his book "Bian Que's Heart Classic", Dou Cai recorded a drug called Sleep Sage Powder, which was actually an ancient anesthetic that would cause the user to lose consciousness after taking it.

Of course, I won't write down the recipe here, because it's not very fun and has some toxicity involved. So if you're interested, you can search for it yourself.

After completing the required number of moxibustion sessions, clean the area where the moxa was applied and remove any ash.

At this time, due to the burning effect of the heat, a scab will mostly form on the area being treated with moxibustion.

Cut a piece of medical tape and apply it for protection, depending on the size of the area to be treated with moxibustion.

This is to prevent clothing from rubbing against the moxibustion sores and causing them to ulcerate and suppurate.

After suppuration, change the adhesive bandage once a day. If there is a lot of pus, it can be changed twice a day. After 1 to 2 weeks, the pus will gradually decrease, and finally a scab will form, leaving a scar after it falls off.

Of course, there are also moxibustion ointments available online now. After moxibustion, you can apply this ointment, making the process even simpler and more convenient.

This method is generally used for long-term chronic diseases such as chronic asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic diarrhea.

There are some precautions to take during the process of developing moxibustion sores.

You cannot drink tea, no tea at all, because moxibustion relies on the heat applied during the treatment, and drinking tea may dissipate the heat.

Secondly, you shouldn't eat immediately after moxibustion; it's generally best to wait one or two hours before eating.

Because the body's energy is concentrated at the moxibustion site immediately after moxibustion, eating immediately may affect the therapeutic effect.

Then you also have to avoid getting angry, working too hard, skipping meals and going hungry, and eating too much and feeling stuffed.

Most importantly, you must not get cold!

When eating, it's best to avoid raw and cold foods, such as iced cola, ice cream, and iced watermelon.

You cannot drink alcohol, and you cannot eat certain foods that may trigger allergies, such as donkey meat, mutton, and seafood.

Although these foods are not cold in nature, consuming too much of them can increase internal heat, making it difficult for moxibustion sores to heal. This is something that must be kept in mind.

Moxibustion, of course, does not stop there; there are many other aspects to it, and many methods of moxibustion.

For example, instead of using moxa wool, there is also lamp Lamp Flame Moxibustion Rush Moxibustion, which refers to a moxibustion method where a lamp wick dipped in vegetable oil is lit and then directly applied to the acupoint. It is also known as Lamp Rush Moxibustion, Striking the Lamp Flame, Cauterization Method.

When performing the procedure, apply an appropriate amount of oil and move quickly to prevent burns from dripping oil. When the lamp flame touches the skin at the acupoint, a slight "slapping" sound can be heard, and the flame will then go out; this is called one moxibustion treatment. Each acupoint is generally treated with only one moxibustion treatment.

After moxibustion, a slight redness may appear at the site; pay attention to cleanliness to avoid infection. Volume Six of the * Compendium of Materia Medica * states. "Moxibustion is mainly used to treat infantile convulsions, coma, spasms, and various other ailments, as well as headaches and dizziness."

Another example is Heavenly Moxibustion).

Heavenly Moxibustion, also known as Cold Moxibustion or Blistering Moxibustion, is a therapy that uses traditional Chinese medicine patches with strong skin-stimulating effects applied to acupoints or affected areas to cause local congestion or even blistering, thereby achieving the purpose of treating diseases. It belongs to the non-heat moxibustion method in moxibustion therapy.

Drugs that irritate and cause blistering on the skin include buttercup leaves, white mustard seeds, eclipta prostrata, blister beetles, garlic paste, evodia rutaecarpa, croton seeds, and castor seeds.

For example, the currently popular Sanfu Plaster is a type of Heavenly Moxibustion.

For example, there are also the Thunderfire Divine Needle and the Taiyi Divine Needle.

Of course, this is also a type of moxa stick, but it's different from pure moxa wool; it contains many Chinese herbal medicines.

This makes the moxibustion more effective because the added Chinese herbs have specific properties.

So this isn't a research paper, it's just something I said offhand. If you really like it, then go check out the recommended books.

For example, books such as "Bian Que's Heart Classic", "The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion", "Rope Moxibustion", and "The Essence of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" are listed here for fellow enthusiasts to refer to.