Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which dried plant materials called "moxa" are burned on or very near the surface of the skin. The intention is to warm and invigorate the flow of Qi in the body and dispel certain pathogenic influences.
Moxa is usually made from the dried leafy material of Chinese mugwort (Artemesia argyi or A.vlugaris), but it can be made of other substances as well.
.Patients can expect to feel a sudden warming sensation that tends to radiate along a specific direction, which depends on the purpose and location of the area that is being treated. This sudden heating sensation is believed to be the arrival of the 'Qi', signalling its ability to flow freely through the correct channels in the body.