Medicinal moxa sticks

If you want to practice moxibustion according to traditional Chinese medicine, you need to buy high-quality moxibustion patches first. There are many types of moxibustion patches. How do you choose? The editor believes that it is best to choose the right moxibustion patch according to your own situation. Today, let’s learn about the types of moxibustion patches and purchasing tips with the editor.

Types of moxibustion patches

Most people usually choose pure moxa sticks or moxa cones, moxa wool. Moxibustion patches are divided into Nanyang Ai and Qi Ai. If you want to achieve twice the result with half the effort, you can also choose Qi Ai sticks or medicinal moxa sticks. There are different types of medicinal moxa sticks. Those that promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, dispel cold and dredge meridians are suitable for people with rheumatic joint pain; those that warm the middle and dispel cold are suitable for people with stomach discomfort; those that dispel evil, clear away heat and dampness, warm the kidney and strengthen the spleen and stomach are suitable for people with excessive moisture, kidney deficiency, and poor gastrointestinal function. Of course, medicinal moxa sticks also have the function of health care. Generally speaking, Chen Ai has stronger penetration and a stronger effect. When you go to the hospital, you usually need to use moxa sticks, but the quality is not very good. Regardless of which moxibustion patch you use, under normal circumstances, it is sufficient to moxibustion an acupoint for 15 to 30 minutes. It does not need to be too long. If you choose Qi moxa sticks, the actual effect will be better.

Pure moxa sticks are divided into clear moxa sticks and old moxa sticks, and the two are distinguished by their age. Chen mugwort is made by repeatedly drying fresh mugwort leaves through wind, sun, and dew, and then storing them in the shade for a long time to gradually dissipate excess volatile oil in the leaves. This takes a long time, usually more than 2 years. Pure moxa under 2 years old is only called pure moxa sticks.

So, what should you pay attention to when buying Qi Ai sticks?

Teach you how to buy good Qi moxa sticks

Pick out the clean leaves, shake off the dust, put them into a stone mortar, and pound them with a wooden pestle. Remove the residue and the white parts, and pound them again until they are soft and rotten like cotton. When performing moxibustion, be sure to choose wormwood leaves that have been aged for a long time, and the older the better. This is because new wormwood leaves contain more volatile oils, which are difficult to extinguish when burned, causing burning pain; while old wormwood leaves contain less water and a large amount of flammable organic compounds, which are easy to ignite and can reduce the pain of burning.

Especially with Chen Ai moxibustion in traditional Chinese medicine, the fire point is sufficient, the nature is warm, the smell is fragrant, and the fragrance is clear and flowing, which is most in line with the therapeutic characteristics of moxibustion therapy of regulating, clearing and nourishing. When making it, first dry the old mugwort leaves repeatedly and pound them, select them clean, remove the residue, make them soft and fine like cotton, and make them into moxa wool. The quality of moxa has a certain impact on the effect of moxibustion.

The quality of moxa is mainly determined by four factors: one is the time of collection, which is usually in late spring and early summer. The leaves of moxa at this time are lush and tender, very clean, because they have less fiber; the second is the processing process. Good moxa is very fine during processing, and the soil and fiber inside are removed, so the wool is soft and delicate; the third is that the storage conditions are good, the moxa is dry and not damp; the fourth is the storage time is relatively long. The moxa is dry and aged for 1 day, and the fiber in it is basically gone, so it has great permeability and strong moxibustion feeling when burned.

So how do you tell the quality of moxa? The key is to start from the four aspects of velvet, color, taste and smoke.

Moxa: High-quality moxa is dry, delicate, soft and crystalline, and can be shaped with fingers. The inferior moxa wool is dry, contains axillary buds, moxa leaf particles and other impurities, and the texture is rough and difficult to form.

Moxa color: high-quality moxa color is beige or orange, while inferior moxa color is generally emerald green.

The smell of moxa: The smell of high-quality moxa after being burned is soft and has the fragrance of wormwood, without being pungent. The smell of fake and inferior moxa after burning is pungent, choking, has a strange smell, and has a grassy smell.

Moxa smoke after the moxa is burned: The moxa smoke after high-quality moxa is burned is light white and not thick, and the thick smoke lingers from bottom to top. The smoke from the fake moxa after being ignited has a straight fire point. When ignited, the smoke is dry and easy to fall off, which is very easy to burn.