China is full of all sorts of different alternative medicines and alternative ways of doing things. That is one of the main reasons why we depend on China to provide us with some of the ancient healing techniques that have used for centuries. Take Moxibustion for example. This is the method where you burn herbs on or near specific points of the body to produce a very particular effect. While in Western medicine, there is no real need for Moxibustion, this technique has been perfected over the course of 3,000 years and has spread all over Asia, not just in China.
One of the herbs that is mostly used in Moxibustion is going to be mugwort and it is usually placed right on the patients skin or on top of a piece of ginger that is placed right on the skin – or the herb is held above the skin on an acupuncture needle, as showed here. Whenever you are getting Moxibustion, it should be by someone who knows exactly what they are doing, as you do not want someone burning your accidently!
The benefits of Moxibustion is that it has been proven to promote both blood and qi circulation!