Today, I tried Moxibustion! (click here if you would like to know what is moxibustion) It was an amazing experience because of its peculiarity and uniqueness.
As always, Doctor Melanie started with acupuncture. However, each session has something special because on each occasion I feel my QI on different acupuncture points. Today I felt in in my feet. I feel as if a pathway was freed from any blockage which in Chinese medicine means that acupuncture achieved its objective = Release the Qi from any blockage by opening the path of the meridians (causing the person to retrieve his or her balance and energy).
So, after she did acupuncture, she left me alone 10 minutes to rest and relax. After the 10 minutes, she came with a kind of cigar in her hand, which I instantly knew it was the dried plant called Mugwort (a plant known from its varied healing properties) that was rolled into a stick that looks like a cigar. This meant that Dr. Melanie was going to start doing the moxibustion. Dr. Melanie told me that moxibustion was an excellent treatment for my gynecological problems. Click here if you would like to know more about this peculiar therapy.
The first thing she did was burn a little bit the moxa stick so as to let it burn without flame. Then, carefully she held it over the acupuncture points across my body (which are positioned according to my diagnosis). She did this without touching my skin. I thought that the moxa stick will create a lot of smoke. However, there was very little smoke even though it did have a very very STRONG smell.
Nevertheless, the strong smell didn’t prevent me from enjoying the warm that the moxa stick was giving me. It was a cozy and soothing experience.
She held the moxa stick over all the acupuncture points, however, she held it during more time over the acupuncture points that were in my lower abdominal area because of my gynecological problem.
During the therapy, I asked her why she didn’t put the Mugwort directly over the acupuncture points like the picture below since I have seen in many pictures that doctors do moxibustion in that way.
She told me that she didn’t like that way of doing moxibustion because sometimes the Mugwort can fall down from the needles causing the patient's skin to burn. Therefore, she prefers to hold a moxa stick near the skin of the patients and have total heat control.
The moxibustion therapy lasted about 10 minutes, and then she removed the needles. I totally recommend this therapy for people with gynecological problems, people who are constantly with colds or flu, people that have digestive problems or for people that always feel cold. People shouldn’t worry about the strong smell since after several minutes the smell won’t be noticed. Instead, the person will be very relaxed and warm.
After the treatment, she told me that she wants me to give me some plants in the form of pills that will help me with my irregular period and my stress. The plants are called "FC with Don Quai" and "Liuwei Dihuang Wan." Therefore, this meant that I am also going to experience the herbal therapy which is a very famous and widely used therapy in Chinese medicine! Click here to know more about the herbal therapy.
FC with Don Quai:
Liuwei Dihuang Wan:
Dr, Melanie told me that I should have two capsules of Don Quai per day (one at the breakfast and one at dinner) and I should have 8 capsules per day of "Liuwei Dihuang Wan" (4 at breakfast and 4 at dinner).
Today was a magical plant day!
