Moxibustion Treatment for Kidney Disease in China

Moxibustion is a technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine which uses a small bundle of tightly burning bound herbs or moxa to the targeted acupoints. Sometimes, it is used along with acupuncture.

As mentioned above, moxibustion is related to burning moxa--a kind of Chinese herbs. And moxibustion has two forms--Direct and Indirect applying.

Direct applying involves acupuncture, which is used earlier than indirect one. Direct moxibustion was most often burned on the acupuncture point, wich the moxa cone placed directly on the skin.

However, it is a very possible pain-and-scarring maker. This type of moxibustion is further categorized into two types--scarring and non-scarring. In non-scaring one, the moxa is placed on the point and lit, but is removed before it burns the skin.The patient will experience a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deep into the skin, but should not experience any pain, blistering or scarring unless the moxa is left in place for too long.

In the scarring one, the moxa is placed on a point, ignited, and allowed to remain onto the point until it burns out completely. And this form may cause some blister in the local skin after healing.

Indirect moxibustion is a method which uses either burning moxa above the skin or on top of an acupuncture needle that has been left in place. In this form, people rarely get any hurt from the treatment.

Most kidney disease are chronic conditions, functional disorders. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, most of Chronic disease patients have a cold or stagnant constitution.Even some patients who appear to be manifesting heat, really have underlying chronic cold in their system which creates the heat-syndrome-like symptoms as their body tries to balance.

The burning of moxa is believed to expel cold and warm the meridians, which leads to smoother flow of blood and qi. When it is used in kidney disease patients, it can largely help improve patient's immunity and clear a better internal environment for the damaged tissue to self-cure and get kidney function improved.

Besides alleviation on kidneys, additional effects on some other symptoms, such as high blood pressure, fatigue, pain, low immunity, bad mood can be found in moxibustion.