There are actually two dynamic components to acupuncture – one is treatment using needles and the other is with heat therapy (fire). Both are complementary and indispensable for resolving illnesses.

Chinese Acupuncture moxibustion therapy concerns healing a condition with fire or heat; actually the Chinese term for acupuncture is Zhen Jiu which means “needle fire”.

Moxibustion and Acupuncture are both important inventions of the Chinese people. During ancient times, many legends referred to the roots of moxibustion and acupuncture such as the invention of the healing methods with stone needles by Fu Hsi and the invention of moxibustion and acupuncture by Huang Di.

The roots of Chinese Acupuncture moxibustion therapy can be dated back to the New Stone Age. During this time, a housewife who was cooking experienced a decrease of her ache while standing near a fire from the stove. Eventually, this evolved and later on, medicinal herbs were added to improve a person’s health and to fumigate the body.

The technique most commonly used in Chinese Acupuncture moxibustion therapy is moxibustion with cupping and moxa cone. This treatment entailed placing over the body a glass jar allowing it to “cup” the body by placing fire in the cup. The heat inside the cup expels the air from the jar causing a “suction effect” that causes the jar to stick to the skin. In turn, this causes the stimulation of stagnant blood and a massaging effect of the patient’s internal organs. A similar effect can be also produced by a moxa cone.

Chinese Acupuncture moxibustion therapy must of course be performed with accuracy. It should correctly target the important energy channels (meridians) and acupuncture points of the body so that the illness in question can be treated. When needed, added as medicinal herbs are mashed garlic and ginger.

The glass cup is usually allowed to stay on the body for 15 – 20 minutes and treatment has to be done over a certain amount of time.

Aside from this ancient technique, modern day practitioners have made a few improvements on the procedures. These days, equipments such as magnetotherapy, acupoint therapy, acupoint injection, electronic needle moxibustion, and microwave needle moxibustion and other techniques can be used in combination or in lieu of Chinese Acupuncture moxibustion therapy.