What are moxibustion flowers in moxibustion?

Moxibustion is a form of moxibustion therapy within traditional Chinese medicine. It primarily involves igniting moxa cones or moxa sticks made from mugwort leaves to smoke and warm specific acupoints on the body, thereby achieving health preservation and disease treatment through this natural therapy.

Applying moxibustion to specific acupoints on the body can help nourish yang energy and prevent diseases. Most people who practice moxibustion have experienced blisters, and those unfamiliar with the practice may mistakenly think these are burns, causing some concern. However, these so-called burn blisters are actually “moxibustion flowers” or “mugwort flowers,” which are a normal phenomenon that occurs during the moxibustion process and pose no cause for worry.

What exactly are moxibustion flowers?

• Moxibustion flowers are blisters of varying sizes that appear on the skin after moxibustion.
• According to traditional Chinese medicine, when the body has excessive dampness and coldness, and the meridians are blocked, the heat from moxibustion helps the body expel these harmful “pathogenic factors.”
• Moxibustion flowers serve as the pathway for these pathogenic factors to exit the body.
• Some even believe that only when blisters form or even pus is discharged does it indicate that the pathogenic factors have been effectively expelled.

Why do moxibustion flowers appear?

• Dampness and cold are considered “pathogenic factors” that harm the body.
• Mugwort has a warm nature and is classified as a “pure yang” substance.
• Moxibustion stimulates the body’s own resistance (positive energy), which then fights against pathogenic factors. Pathogenic factors need an outlet to be expelled, and thus moxibustion flowers form.
• Simply put, moxibustion flowers are the artificial pathway we create for cold and dampness within the body to exit.

What can be determined from moxibustion flowers/blisters?

• The appearance of moxibustion flowers indicates heavy dampness within the body.
• If the blisters are colorless: this indicates primarily cold dampness.
• If the blisters are yellow: this indicates stagnant heat within the body.
• If the blisters resemble blood-tinged fluid: this indicates severe damp-toxin accumulation within the body.
• If the moxibustion site itches: this indicates the presence of wind-evil in that area.

What should be done if moxibustion flowers?

1. Small blisters:
   No treatment is needed; allow them to absorb and disappear on their own.
2. Large blisters:
   • Gently puncture the blister with a sterilized needle.
   • Allow the fluid inside to drain out.
   • Apply moxibustion ash (cooled) or Yunnan Baiyao powder to the puncture site.
   • Alternatively, after puncturing, gently moxibustion the area with an moxa stick to dry the exudate (slight pain upon puncturing, no pain during moxibustion).
3. Blisters with excessive exudate:
   After puncturing, use a suction cup (vacuum cup) to remove the fluid, then apply moxa ash or Yunnan Baiyao powder, cover with gauze, and secure with adhesive tape.
4. Important notes:
   After the blister ruptures, keep the wound dry and avoid contact with water. Do not cover it with a band-aid.
   If the wound accidentally comes into contact with water, disinfect the surface with iodine solution, then apply moxa ash or Yunnan Baiyao powder.

Is the appearance of moxibustion flowers a sign of improvement?

• Ancient Chinese medicine placed great emphasis on moxa flowers, referring to them as “opening the door to expel evil.”
• They believed that the appearance of moxibustion blisters (moxibustion sores) was a key indicator of the effectiveness of moxibustion.
• The ancient text The Easy Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion states: “Moxibustion sores must appear; removing the disease is as easy as grabbing it.” (Meaning: When moxibustion sores appear, the disease heals quickly.)
• The Taiping Shenghui Fang records: “If a wound forms and pus flows after moxibustion, the disease will heal; if no wound forms and no pus flows, the disease will be difficult to cure.”
• The Wai Tai Mi Yao states more directly: “If the wound appears, the disease will heal easily.” (When the moxibustion wound appears, the disease heals easily.)
• These all indicate that the appearance of moxibustion flowers is generally a good sign, signaling the body’s detoxification and improvement, and there is no need to fear or reject it.

Assessing bodily condition based on skin marks after moxibustion

After moxibustion, the skin often retains marks of varying colors or shapes, which reflect the severity of internal cold dampness or blood stasis:

• Dark purple:
  Indicates blood stasis (such as menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, or insufficient cardiac blood supply) or severe exposure to cold. Persistent color indicates a long-standing issue requiring prolonged treatment. A large area of purple-black indicates a broad range of wind-cold influence.
• Purple with patches:
  This indicates that cold pathogens have caused blood stasis.
• Light purple with a bluish tint and patches:
  This is commonly seen in cases of physical weakness (deficiency syndrome) combined with blood stasis. When it appears at the Kidney Shu point, it indicates kidney deficiency; when it appears at the Spleen Shu point, it indicates qi deficiency with blood stasis. It is often accompanied by tenderness upon pressure.
• Scattered purple spots of varying depths:
  This indicates qi stagnation leading to blood stasis (qi stagnation and blood stasis).
• Bright red and vivid:
  This suggests yin deficiency, qi and yin deficiency, or yin deficiency with excessive fire.
• Blisters:
  This indicates excessive dampness in the body. Blisters containing blood indicate a damp-heat toxin reaction; edema-like excessive fluid accumulation suggests a “qi” issue.

I’m sure you’ve learned about the moxa flower used in moxibustion. For those of you interested in moxibustion, you may already be convinced that it is one of the most effective ways to enhance your health. To help with your health plan, we have summarized the Top 10 Scientific Benefits of Moxibustion.

Common side effects after moxibustion

1. Numbness or chills:
   During or after moxibustion, you may feel a breeze or numbness in your knees, or a cool sensation in the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of your feet when moxibustion is applied to the Mingmen or navel. This indicates the expulsion of wind pathogens or cold-dampness.
2. Red and white mottled spots:
   After moxibustion, the skin may appear unevenly red with white spots (more white than red). This indicates local stagnation of qi and blood, requiring continued moxibustion until the treated area feels warmer, the white spots disappear, and the skin becomes uniformly red or sweaty.
3. Extensive redness and moisture:
   The skin around the acupoint may become extensively red and moist (common when using a moxibustion box/cup). This typically indicates that the moxibustion session has been sufficient, and it can be stopped.
4. Rash and itching:
   Small rashes and itching on the face or body during moxibustion indicate the expulsion of dampness from the body. Observation can continue; if the rash does not subside or worsens, additional moxibustion can be applied to the Quchi and HeGu acupoints.
5. Sounds from deep within the acupoint:
   After a certain number of moxibustion sessions, you may feel sounds coming from deep within the acupoint. This is a good sign indicating that long-blocked meridians are beginning to open up.
6. Blisters:
   Common in first-time moxibustion users or when increasing moxibustion intensity. There are two possible causes:
   • Excessive moxibustion: Moxibustion duration is too long or heat intensity is too high. Reduce the number of sessions or shorten the duration.
   • Disease expulsion reaction: In cases of severe illness, blistering indicates the body’s vital energy is recovering and actively expelling pathogens, which is beneficial for recovery (ancient texts regarded moxibustion sores as a sign
7. Skin burning pain:
   • Initial discomfort may occur, but the pain typically subsides after acupoint adaptation.
   • The moxa stick is too close to the skin, resulting in excessive heat. Adjust the distance or reduce the heat intensity.
   • The moxibustion tools may be unsuitable.
   • The disease itself is painful, and a reduction in pain after moxibustion is a sign of improvement.
8. Relapse phenomenon:
   • Approximately 50% of people may experience a temporary worsening of symptoms or abnormal reactions such as sweating, runny nose, sneezing (expelling cold qi), or sudden diarrhea (expelling cold dampness) during or after moxibustion.
   • After diarrhea, there may be slight gastrointestinal discomfort, but overall health is unaffected.
   • Some people may feel coldness in their hands and feet after moxibustion (especially in winter or spring), which is a reaction of cold qi being expelled to the body surface, indicating severe yang deficiency. Continued moxibustion is necessary.
   • Repeated occurrence of disease-expelling reactions indicates stubborn pathogenic factors but also proves that the body’s vital energy is accumulating. The presence or absence of such reactions is normal; there is no need to force them.

Post-Moxibustion Precautions

1. Stay warm:
   After moxibustion, pores are open and susceptible to the cold, so it is important to stay warm.
2. Stay hydrated:
   Moxibustion depletes the body’s water reserves, so it is important to drink water after treatment.
3. Protect your skin:
   After moxibustion, the skin is sensitive, so avoid irritating cosmetics, strenuous exercise, and extremely cold or hot environments.

Post-Moxibustion Restrictions

1. Do not bathe immediately:
   This prevents exposure to the cold.
2. Avoid strenuous exercise:
   The body may feel fatigued after moxibustion, so avoid overexertion.
3. Avoid prolonged exposure to cold:
   Immunity is temporarily weakened after moxibustion, making one more susceptible to colds.

Who Should Avoid Moxibustion?

• Children:
  Children typically have abundant yang energy and generally do not require moxibustion.
• Individuals with severely deficient qi and blood:
  Moxibustion primarily functions to unblock meridians and expel cold and dampness; it does not directly replenish qi and blood and may instead consume some. Those who have recently recovered from a serious illness should first replenish their qi and blood before considering moxibustion.
• Elderly individuals with specific constitutions:
  • Yang-heat constitution:
    Robust physique, intolerant of heat but not cold. Moxibustion may have the opposite effect.
  • Yin deficiency with excessive fire constitution:
    Palms and soles feel hot, mouth and throat are dry. Moxibustion may exacerbate “excessive fire” and further deplete yin blood.
• Three categories of elderly individuals should use moxibustion with caution:
  • Those with a tendency to bleed: Such as those prone to nosebleeds, gum bleeding, or with a history of gastrointestinal bleeding. Moxibustion may exacerbate bleeding.
  • Diabetic patients: Nerve damage may cause insensitivity to temperature, increasing the risk of burns; high blood sugar may impair wound healing and increase the risk of infection.
  • Those with Yang-excess or Yin-deficiency constitutions.
• Important reminder:
  Avoid washing hands or taking a shower with cold water for half an hour after moxibustion. After moxibustion, it is advisable to maintain a light diet and drink plenty of water.