The feeling of moxibustion is very important, don’t ignore these when doing moxibustion!

To maintain health through moxibustion, one should first understand the knowledge of moxibustion sensation. Many people are not clear about what moxibustion sensation is. Moxibustion sensation refers to the feeling a part of the body gives to oneself when moxibustion is applied. Moxibustion sensation is only a self-feeling. The strength of the moxibustion sensation also represents the condition of the body. So what moxibustion sensations deserve attention?

Causes of moxibustion sensation

The existence and occurrence of moxibustion sensation is often affected by various conditions and factors such as environment, technique, pathology, time, and individual.

1. The intensity of stimulation and the number of stimulations.

During moxibustion, the firepower must be balanced and continuous, and reach a certain amount of effect, so that the basic laws of moxibustion sensation and sensory transmission process can appear. If the fire is interrupted, the induction that has already appeared will weaken, retreat and finally disappear. Generally speaking, the stronger the stimulation, the longer the duration, and the more frequent the stimulation, the easier it is for the sensation to occur. However, sometimes the intensity of stimulation is not great and the duration is not too long, but sensation transmission along the meridians can still occur. When the sensation transmission is slow and difficult to occur, even if the stimulation is strengthened, the sensation transmission will still be very slow or difficult to occur.

2. Differences in individual qualities.

The difference in individual quality has a very obvious relationship with the feeling of moxibustion. Among normal people, the sensation of moxibustion varies from person to person, hence the saying of "meridian sensitive people". There are also obvious differences due to different individual factors. For example, patients of the same gender, equal age and same symptoms are treated with moxibustion in the same way at the same time. Patient A's various sensory perceptions are very good, while those of Patient B are extremely dull or hardly occur.

3. The influence of good or bad environment.

In a warm and quiet environment, with moist skin and a focused mind, the moxibustion sensation is more likely to occur and the sensation is transmitted faster. On the contrary, in cold, noisy, dry skin, or when you are not interacting with others and your mind is distracted, the moxibustion sensation will be dull or imperceptible, and the speed will also be slower.

4. The influence of the severity of the lesion.

The moxibustion sensation has a certain relationship with the length of the disease course and the severity of the medical history. For those with mild illness, the moxibustion sensation will be correspondingly enhanced and appear; for those with severe and long-term illness, the various moxibustion sensations will naturally become dull and weakened.

5. The operation technique and mentality of the operator. The operator's proficiency in technique, seriousness and patience, as well as impatience, unfamiliarity, rashness and suspicion are also important factors affecting the feeling and effect of moxibustion.

Classification of moxibustion sensation

The phenomena of heat, wind, coolness, cold, numbness, swelling, sourness, heaviness, and pain expressed by moxibustion can be divided into three categories according to the different effects expressed by moxibustion at different stages and times:

The first type of moxa fire circulating through the meridians: Warmth is the dynamic feeling that appears in the first stage of moxibustion. It is a benign reaction in which the moxa fire automatically circulates through the meridians to cause the temperature of Qi and blood to rise and circulate. Because fire is dynamic and has the function of moving around, the warm and hot feeling brought by the moxa fire following the meridians is also dynamic and diverse, with three forms: heat penetration, heat transfer, and heat expansion. In terms of heat penetration, the warm air of the moxa fire will penetrate along the surface of the body to the deep layer, and has the effect of penetrating before moxibustion and penetrating after moxibustion; in terms of heat transfer, the warm air of the moxa fire will be transmitted distally along certain meridians or directions, and has the effect of transmitting from top to bottom and from bottom to top when moxibustion is on; in terms of heat expansion, the warm air of the moxa fire will diffuse along one point of the body to the surrounding area, and has the effect of moxibustion on one point and expanding to an entire area. When these three forms of warm moxibustion sensation appear, the patient will feel warm and comfortable, and the symptoms will be relieved.

The second type is the fight between good and evil: moxa fire follows the meridians: numbness, swelling, soreness, heaviness and pain are the static moxibustion sensations that appear in the second stage of moxibustion, which are the normal reactions of the fight between good and evil in the body. When the moxa fire flows along the meridians and creates a warm moxibustion sensation, it will stimulate the circulation of Qi and blood in the body. When it encounters the evil Qi of the lesion, a fierce struggle will occur, causing tension in the meridians, muscles and other tissues, resulting in fluctuations in the circulation of Qi and blood, which will cause a static moxibustion sensation of numbness, swelling, soreness, heaviness and pain in the lesion or the meridians to which the lesion belongs. The appearance of this moxibustion sensation indicates the beginning of the generation of positive energy in the body and the struggle between it and negative energy.

The third type of evil spirits expelling: wind, coolness and coldness are the dynamic moxibustion sensations that appear in the third stage of moxibustion. It is a benign reaction in which the body's positive energy is strong and the evil energy is weak, and the evil energy is expelled from the body. When the moxa fire continuously burns the corresponding acupuncture points, it will accelerate the circulation of Qi and blood, enhance the positive Qi, and expel the pathogenic Qi in the lesion or the meridians to which it belongs. A slight chill will be discharged from the corresponding parts of the body. It shows that the positive energy in the body begins to expel the negative energy from the body.

Common types of moxibustion sensations

1. During penetrating heat moxibustion, the heat penetrates from the skin surface at the moxibustion point into the body, sometimes directly reaching the internal organs. For example, when you apply moxibustion to Zhongwan, you can feel the entire stomach warm.

2. Heat dissipation During moxibustion, the heat diffuses around the moxibustion point. For example, when you apply moxibustion to Guanyuan, you can feel the heat not only going inward, but also spreading to both sides of the waist.

3. During heat transfer moxibustion, the heat starts from the moxibustion point and is transmitted along the meridians to distant parts, even directly reaching the lesion. For example, when moxibustion is applied to the Bladder Meridian point, the heat will be transmitted all the way to the thigh roots and even to the soles of the feet.

4. The moxibustion site is not hot or slightly hot, but feels very hot away from the moxibustion site. This kind of moxibustion sensation usually appears along the meridians. For example, when moxibustion is applied to several points on the shoulders of the small intestine meridian, one can feel heat in the arms and back.

5. The surface is not hot or is slightly hot, but the deep tissues under the skin and even the internal organs in the chest and abdomen are very hot. If you moxibustion the Shenyu point, you can feel heat in the kidney area of ​​the abdomen.

6. During moxibustion, a non-thermal sensation is produced at the moxibustion point or at areas far away from the moxibustion point. Such as soreness, numbness, swelling, pain, heaviness, coldness, itching and other feelings. If you moxibustion the Sanyinjiao point, the soles of your feet will feel cold, as if there is wind blowing, and a trace of cool air will flow between your toes. This is the process of expelling cold. For example, when moxibustion is applied to the Yongquan acupoint, the little toe may feel a little numb.

7. The sensations of heat, swelling, pain, etc. generated at the moxibustion site are transmitted deep and far, and the symptoms are relieved wherever they are. This feeling is most common in patients with rheumatism and periarthritis of the shoulder, and moxibustion can quickly relieve the pain.

To sum up, the moxibustion sensation is very important. If you master the moxibustion sensation areas on your body, the moxibustion effect will be twice as good with half the effort! The above-mentioned types of moxibustion sensations will deepen in turn during the moxibustion treatment. The sixth and seventh sensations indicate that the pure Yang energy of moxibustion is transmitted along the meridians, and moxibustion achieves the expected therapeutic effect. The feeling of moxibustion is not limited to the moxibustion site, but is transmitted along the meridians.