In ancient China, wormwood was already an important livelihood plant. "Moxibustion" is usually used for acupuncture. Acupuncture is actually divided into two parts. "Needle" refers to acupuncture points, and "moxibustion" refers to burning wormwood and fumigating and scalding points. Although acupoints are stimulated by heating, not any piece of paper or grass can be used as "moxibustion" when it is lit. The smell of wormwood must have played a role. When people in China use cupping to treat rheumatism, it is better to use wormwood as fuel.

Practitioners use moxa sticks to warm areas and meridian points, with the aim of stimulating circulation through points and making blood and airflow more stable. Some people think it can treat diseases related to "cold" or "yang deficiency" in traditional Chinese medicine. It is said that moxibustion can reduce the cold and dampness of the body and can play the role of turning the breech position.

The first modern scientific publication about moxibustion was written by a Japanese doctor, HaraShimetarō, who made an in-depth study on the hematological effects of moxibustion in 1927. Two years later, his doctoral thesis on this issue was admitted to the Medical College of Kyushu Imperial University. The latest issue of Halla appeared in 198 1.

Cochrane evaluation found that the evidence of using moxibustion to correct the breech position of infants was limited and more experimental experiments were needed. Moxibustion is also used to treat pain, cancer, stroke, ulcerative colitis, constipation and hypertension. Systematic review shows that the quality of these studies is low, and the positive results may be due to publication bias.

Parallel use of mugwort

Artemisia argyi in other herbs is often painted as a stick. The Chumashi people in Southern California have similar rituals. Europeans put mugwort under pillows to stimulate their dreams; This herb is related to the magic practice in Anglo-Saxon times.