Healing Fire
I use many types of Healing Fire in my work including moxibustion (direct and indirect), fire cupping, and smudging with sage to cleanse and purify the spirit.
Moxibustion
Many acupuncturists in the west use indirect moxibustion, or pole moxa, which is wonderfully warming to the qi in your energy channels and helps to move blood, qi, and your energy.
Indirect moxa is great, and I often teach my patients to do this for themselves at home if they find it helps them because it is so simple and easy, even children can be taught to do this carefully.
Cupping
Cupping is a tremendously useful technique that helps to massage and pull the muscles in a unique way, pulling well enough to remove blood and stagnation from persistent areas causing pain and illness.
I use Fire Cupping techniques for pain, and also help draw out congestion.
Available Treatments
Moxibustion
I also use a method of more intense and focused moxibustion that is less common in the states, known as direct moxibustion. Direct moxibustion is commonly used with the Seitai Shinpo treatment. This involves burning the herb Artemisia Vulgaris on top of a special herbal ointment based of tonifying and blood invigorating herbs plus sesame oil (shiunko oil) made specifically to accompany Artemesia. This treatment helps move these healing herbs into the body through acupuncture points on the skin. The application of moxibustion may become uncomfortable as it produces a heat sensation or “zip” like a mild bee sting. It should not be painful and is often reported to have a very relaxing effect by many.
I have come to see the powerful healing that comes from this herb and its use when applied where acupuncture needles cannot go, but where it can deliver herbal healing medicine deeply into the tissues of the body to quickly promote profound healing.
As with any part of treatment, if this form of moxa becomes too uncomfortable, I encourage you to notify the practitioner. There are different types of therapies sometimes that may be used in its place, although if it is being used, the practitioner has a reason. On rare occasions, it can leave a small blister or scab on the surface of the skin. With particular skin types there is a risk of scarring from its use. For these reasons, I apprenticed for over a decade alongside my teacher Dr. Maekawa to use the utmost care with her direct moxa technique. I use shiunko oil on the skin to minimize scarring, so scars are rare, and healing time is shortened as healing happens faster!
Cupping
Most of my patients love the feel of it, and many say it helps them have better range of motion, freedom from injury, and faster healing from their workouts or tissue injury. The techniques of cupping or gua sha may produce a redness of the skin which may persist for 3-4 days and may result in slight bruising or tenderness. The red discoloration is a sign of increased blood circulation. Purple, red, or bruising colors can also occur during cupping as stagnant blood is moved to the surface tissues.
