Small Fire Creates Big Fire

In my previous blog 108 Years Old Doctor, I introduced Dr. Shimetaro Hara.

Throughout his life, he advocated the effects of moxibustion on ST36 Zusanli, an acupuncture point on Stomach Meridian (for location, see photos below) as a method of health promotion and freedom from disease.

EFFECTS OF MOXIBUSTION
Dr. Hara describes the effects of moxibustion in his book, Manbyo-ni-Kiku Okyu Ryoho (Moxibustion Therapy Effective for All Diseases), Jistugyo-no-Nippon Sha 1933, p.133:

1. Increased White Blood Cells
The white blood cell count begins to increase immediately after moxibustion, and reaches a peak eight hours later. This peak is maintained for 24 hours. The number declines somewhat after three days, but it remains elevated for four to five days after moxibustion. The white blood cell count almost doubles with moxibustion, but when applied continuously for six weeks, the increase is sustained for up to 13 weeks after moxibustion is discontinued.

2. Increased Phagocytic Acitivty of the White Blood Cells
With tyhpoid bacilli the phagocytic activity increases just 15 minutes after moxibustion. The activity reaches a peak in two to three days, and gradually declines after that. Phagocytic activity is greater than normal for about a week after moxibustion but, when moxibustion is applied continuously, the increase in this activity continues for a longer period.

3. Increased Red Blood Cells and Hemoglobin
For subjects who had an average hemoglobin ratio of 78% just before moxibustion, the ratio increased steadily to reach a peak of 90% in 8 weeks. Applying moxibustion continuously for 15 weeks, it takes 22 weeks for the red blood cell count to return to what it was before moxibustion.

4. Increased platlet count and speed of blood coagulation

5. Increased Blood Calcium

6. Increased Capacity of Producing Antibodies

SMALL FIRE CREATES BIG FIRE – HISTOTOXIN
Dr. Hara claimed that these experimental results were produced by minute amounts of “histotoxin” (denatured protein), which stimulated an increase in blood constituent and their activity.

Furthermore, he enlisted the concept of homeopathy to explain that, while large amounts of “histotoxin” from big burns are harmful to the body, minute amounts of this substance from the continuous application of moxibustion was actually beneficial and useful for maintaining health.

(Source: Junji Mizutani, R.Ac., Practical Moxibustion Therapy (7) pp.19-21, July 1996, North American Journal of Oriental Medicine)

STRONG IMMUNITY = ANTI-AGING
Recent research further reveals additional effects of moxibustion on immunity such as:

● Increased Helper T cells, natural killer cells released outside the blood vessels
● Rise in the appearance of cytokine (INF-v, IL-2mRNA) in the lymph nodes

(Source: Tohya Kazuo, “Research Related to the Activation of Immunological Effect with Moxibustion Therapy, The Journal of the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Vol.52, No.1, February 2002.)

EASY HOME THERAPY
Moxibustion is a very easy and the least expensive home therapy once you learn how to do it yourself.

Some of my clients have learned how to do it and found it very effective for pain symptoms such as rheumatoid arthritis, and so forth.

I would like to talk about how to perform the moxibustion at home in my upcoming blog.