5　 What Are the Features of Suspended Moxibustion?

By applying heat stimulation on acupoints,suspended moxibustion activates the body’s innate regulatory system, the channel system, to re-balance physiology and pathology. The effect of suspended moxibustion is not produced by the heat stimulation directly, but by this innate regulatory system. This shows that the effect of suspended moxibustion is bidirectional,holistic, qualitative and self-limiting.

The stimulation produced by suspended moxibustion is nonspecific and works by stimulating the innate regulatory system of the body, the channel system, to re-balance physiology and pathology. Its effects are not produced by the heat, but by the innate regulatory system, and has the following features.

The effect of suspended moxibustion is bidirectional.

Suspend moxibustion can produce both excitement and inhibition. When proper stimulation is given to the body, the effect always brings disorder back into balance.When there is hypofunction, suspended moxibustion strengthens it, while hyperfunction is weakened without affecting normal physiology. This bidirectional effect is the fundamental reason why suspended moxibustion can treat disease without side effects.

The effect of suspended moxibustion is holistic.

There are two aspects to the holistic regulating effect of suspended moxibustion.First, suspended moxibustion influences multiple organs and systems simultaneously and to varying degrees. Second, the regulating effect on a specific organ occurs through a comprehensive regulation of the system it belongs to, sometimes even by influencing all the body’s systems. For example, when suspended moxibustion is used to treat gastric ulcer, the effect is realized by the regulation of gastrointestinal motility and gastric acid secretion, as well as by protecting the gastrointestinal mucosa. Suspended moxibustion therefore regulates various systems and organs in a comprehensive, multilevel and multifaceted way. Holistic regulation is why there suspended moxibustion has so many indications.

The effect of suspended moxibustion goes to the core.

The regulating effect of suspended moxibustion refers to its ability to enhance the functions of various body systems, and improve the ability of various physiological and biochemical parameters to maintain stability.

The body has several complex regulation systems that maintain homeostasis in the various physiological and biochemical parameters of the internal environment,first among them being the neuroendocrine-immune system. These systems react to interference that affects the stability of this internal environment. By stimulating these systems, suspended moxibustion activates the regulating potential of the body to produce bidirectional, holistic and self-limiting effects to restore physiological and biochemical balance.

This regulating effect produces a bidirectional influence on disordered physiological functions, while it has no obvious effect on normal functions. However, this does not mean suspended moxibustion has little influence on the functions of a healthy body. No matter if a person is in a state of health or disease, suspended moxibustion can improve the quality of the body’s regulation systems. Nevertheless, the effects vary depending on the state of the body. In pathology, the effect is bidirectional and acts to treat the disease.In health, the effect acts to prevent disease, by correcting small deviations from normal bodily function. Suspended moxibustion administered frequently on ST 36 (zú sān lĭ)can enhance the immune system and thus strengthen its ability to prevent disease, which is an example of the core regulating effect of suspended moxibustion. This effect is an internal mechanism for disease prevention and health maintenance. It is significant both theoretically and clinically, and is a field ripe for exploration.

The effect of suspended moxibustion is self-limiting.

The self-limiting effect of suspended moxibustion has two main aspects. First, this effect is the same as acupuncture, where the regulating ability is limited to physiology.Second, the regulating effect of suspended moxibustion depends on the health of the body’s tissues and structures, as well as its reserves. Because suspended moxibustion works by exciting or tranquilizing the body’s innate regulatory systems to restore balance, the effects of suspended moxibustion are limited. Just as incomplete analgesia in acupuncture anesthesia can be viewed as the nature of the technique, suspended moxibustion seldom works in patients where certain functions have failed, who have irreversible damage to tissues or structures, or who lack certain bodily substances.Understanding the limitations of suspended moxibustion is necessary for understanding when it is clinically applicable.