HOW DOES MOXIBUSTION WORK

Following on from my previous piece about the new study being undertaken to explore whether moxa treatment can help to reduce the potentially dangerous side-effects of chemotherapy, here is a short exploration of how moxibustion works.

The mechanisms of moxa treatment have not been fully established in western medical terms. One theory generally held is that it influences multiple cortical, subcortical and limbic system, and brainstem areas of the brain, partly through opioid and monoaminergic neurotransmission. An alternative theory, based upon research in rats, is that it influences heat shock proteins. A third theory is that it improves immune cell function by a neuro-hormonal regulatory function. Moxibustion has also been shown to enhance cytokine production and increase NK cell activity in mice with tumours.