Moxibustion

Moxibustion, or moxa, is the burning of a Chinese herb Mugwort Leaf (Ai Ye) over an acupoint. The herb comes prerolled as a cigar, which is then lit and held a centimetre or two away from the skin. The cigar is held there to warm the acupoint and removed before becoming too hot for the patient. The loose herb is sometimes used for shaping into "cones" which are then placed directly on the skin, or on top of a slice of ginger. The burning herb is removed before becoming too hot for the patient, and leaves no burning or scarring on the skin.