An Effective Treatment For Finger Arthritis

One treatment for finger arthritis that's been very effective for my patients is called "moxibustion". Most of my patients are happy with the results of this technique.

This therapy often helps in common types of arthritis (such as osteoarthritis) where the pain is:

• Better when you apply warmth
• Worse on cold days
• Worse on damp, rainy days
• May be a result of injury or surgery

Moxibustion is not suitable for arthritis that:

• Feels warm to the touch (or subjectively)
• Shows redness
• Feels worse when you apply heat

In other words, I'm not talking about arthritis that's often diagnosed as Rheumatoid arthritis.

What Is Moxibustion?

Moxibustion is an ancient Chinese medicine technique involving warming the joint with an herbal "cigar" made of mugwort. Moxibustion stimulates circulation of blood to improve healing, and is very effective in chronic conditions where other treatments fail.

This herb works better than other heat sources. Studies have shown that even the smoke from the herb has oils that make the treatment more effective. Holding the "cigar" below the area to fumigate the joint with the smoke is beneficial.

How Is Moxibustion Done?

You hold the "cigar" 1 or 2 inches from the skin and move it around the finger joints to warm them for 5 to 10 minutes. If the skin turns a very light pink, that's enough. I recommend my patients do it themselves at home daily. The majority of them have very good results.

Some of my patients have avoided surgery through the use of moxibustion. Others have returned to sports, playing music, and other activities they couldn't perform previously due to finger arthritis.

You can purchase moxibustion sticks at many Chinese markets and from many online acupuncture supply sites.

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