Mid-Winter Medicine: Warming the Body with Moxibustion

Direct-moxibustion, can stimulate production of heat shock proteins (HSPs). They play a crucial role in cellular protection and repair, influencing biological processes like immune response (think cancer) and cell cycle regulation.

It’s mid-winter in Toowoomba, and if you’ve found yourself permanently attached to a hot water bottle, you're not alone. Cold limbs, achy backs, stiff joints, and seasonal fatigue are all signs that your body might be struggling to keep itself warm from the inside out.

Enter one of traditional Chinese medicine’s most underrated therapies: moxibustion.

Moxibustion—or “moxa” for short—is the therapeutic burning of dried mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) near or on the skin to warm and activate acupuncture points. Used for centuries across East Asia, moxa is known for dispelling cold, enhancing circulation, reducing pain, and boosting immunity. While acupuncture directs and regulates energy movement, moxibustion adds warmth and fuel to the system, especially vital during winter.

In TCM, winter is the season ruled by the Water element, associated with the kidney and bladder systems. These organs are believed to govern not only physical warmth and vitality but also our deeper reserves—our endurance, drive, and reproductive capacity. When cold lodges internally, we may see fatigue, low back pain, frequent urination, poor digestion, low mood, and even fertility issues. Moxa works to gently warm these deeper layers, helping the body circulate and conserve energy effectively...more intelligently.

Common Moxibustion Techniques

1. Indirect moxibustion: A cigar-shaped stick of mugwort is lit and held above the skin to warm specific acupuncture points without contact.

2. Needle-top moxa: A small ball of moxa is placed on the end of an inserted acupuncture needle to send warmth deep into the channel.

3. Moxa cones or boxes: Small cones are placed on a barrier (like ginger slices or salt) or inside a box to warm larger areas like the abdomen or lower back.

4. Rice grain moxa: Tiny, refined cones are burned directly on the skin with high precision—used for chronic cold and deficiency conditions.

At Misun Wahya Foundation, moxibustion is often used in conjunction with acupuncture to enhance treatment outcomes during winter. It’s ideal for people who feel chronically cold, depleted, or stuck in seasonal low moods. Bonus: it smells earthy and comforting—like herbal campfire meets cosy clinic.

Winter Benefits of Moxa:

• Warms cold limbs and joints

• Relieves low back and pelvic pain

• Eases digestive sluggishness and bloating

• Supports menstrual health and fertility

• Improves sleep and emotional wellbeing

• Strengthens immune defences during cold and flu season

Western Biomedical Perspective

Modern studies suggest that moxibustion improves local circulation, promotes immune modulation, and reduces inflammatory markers. The heat stimulates sensory nerves and blood vessels, encouraging tissue repair and pain relief. It may also influence the autonomic nervous system, promoting parasympathetic relaxation—a much-needed antidote to winter stress and tension. Winter doesn’t have to mean stiff, tired, or frozen. With the help of moxibustion, you can nourish your body's inner fire, improve resilience, and feel warmly supported all season long.

Dr. Ash Dean, Doctor of East Asian medicine and a Licensed Acupuncturist, at Misun Wahya Foundation, Toowoomba City, offers personalised winter treatments using moxa, acupuncture, and integrative East-West care to help you feel grounded, strong, and warm—no electric blanket required.