%0 Journal Article
%T Does moxibustion work? An overview of systematic reviews
%A Myeong Soo Lee
%A Jung Won Kang
%A Edzard Ernst
%J BMC Research Notes
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-0500-3-284
%X Electronic searches were conducted to locate all SRs of moxibustion for any condition. Data were extracted by two authors according to predefined criteria.Ten SRs met our inclusion criteria, which related to the following conditions: cancer, ulcerative colitis, stroke rehabilitation, constipation, hypertension, pain conditions and breech presentation. Their conclusions were contradictory in several instances. Relatively clear evidence emerged to suggest that moxibustion is effective for breech presentation.Based on evidence from the currently available SRs, the effectiveness of moxibustion has been demonstrated for several conditions; however, due to the poor quality of the primary studies, there remains considerable uncertainty.Moxibustion is an East Asian therapeutic method that uses the heat generated by burning herbal preparations containing Artemisia vulgaris to stimulate acupuncture points [1]. According to the theory of traditional medicine, heat is usually applied to acupuncture points during moxibustion to cure diseases by regulating the function of meridians and visceral organs. A possible explanation for how moxibustion works is that the heat stimulates acupuncture points, which increases qi circulation and relieves qi stagnation, leading to an improved disease state [2].Acupuncture stimulation, which involves thrusting or twisting needles, results in various biochemical reactions that can have effects throughout the body. Unlike acupuncture, moxibustion uses heat stimulation at various temperature levels, ranging from mild skin warming to tissue damage from burning. This heat stimulation can yield inflammatory responses and induce vascular changes [2].Although moxibustion is often used as a symptomatic treatment for a wide range of conditions in clinical practice, e.g., arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, gynaecological complaints and stroke rehabilitation, its clinical effectiveness remains uncertain [3-5], and many experts doubt its biological plausi
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/3/284