Home >> What is Traditional Asian Medicine >> Moxibustion Moxibustion Moxibustion is the burning of the leaves of the mugwort plant (Ai Ye; Folium artemesiae). Sometimes a stick of the herb (which looks like a long cigar) is lit and swirled close to the area being treated. This method is often used when there is a large area to be treated. The loose herb is also formed into a ball and placed on the edge of a needle and lit so as to warm a particular point. Moxa can also be formed into a cone and directly burned onto the skin (not often practiced in the U.S.) or onto slices of ginger or garlic or mounds of salt. The basic function of moxibustion is to improve circulation and warm the local area or meridian. It is often used in such complaints as aches and pains worse with exposure to cold, poor digestion, and dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain). It is a therapy which greatly strengthens acupuncture treatments in general and is widely used.