     |
MoxibustionMoxibustion is a Chinese remedy used during breech births which involves burning a herb at the toe of a pregnant woman - and clinical tests have shown its effectiveess A study by Italian obstetrician and acupuncturist Dr Francesco Cardini found that the remedy, known as Moxibustion, was successful in preventing breech births.
A study of 130 women, using ultrasound tests, found that Moxibustion worked in 75% of cases, compared with 48% of babies who got no treatment. It is highlighted in a huge American survey of alternative medicine, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Moxibustion involves rolling the herb Artemesia, commonly known as mugwort in the West, into a cigar shape and setting it on fire. The smoking herb, which smells like Marijuana, is then held close to the pregnant woman's little toe. Chinese medicine practitioners believe the herb stimulates an acupuncture pressure point in the little toe which leads to foetal movement. Breech babies are babies that have not turned in the womb to ensure they come out head first and so come out in a more difficult position for both mother and baby. Conventional Western medicine involves kneading the woman's stomach to stimulate the foetus to move into the correct position. If this does not work, the woman is given a Caesarian section as breech births are a danger to the baby. Dr Cardini believes that it is the heat of the herb which causes the baby to move. The technique has no side effects.
|
