During moxibustion, a trained therapist burns an herb to apply heat close to the skin at specific points, which can lead to improvements in several common side effects of cancer treatments.
How do experts use moxibustion?
Both medical groups and integrative experts provide recommendations for moxibustion in treating people with cancer. Learn more about the approaches and meanings of recommendation: Integrative Oncology Programs and Expert Guidelines ›
Clinical practice guidelines
The guidelines listed here specifically mention moxibustion. Other guidelines may consider moxibustion to be part of acupuncture and don’t evaluate it separately.
After cancer treatment: conditional recommendation for moxibustion to manage symptoms of cancer-related fatigue
Chinese Integrative Therapy of Primary Liver Cancer Working Group
This group’s 2018 guidelines give a weak recommendation for moxibustion and acupuncture to relieve pain or reduce gastrointestinal reactions such as vomiting.
Other expert assessments
Chinese medicine clinical service
A survey of experts published in 2020 found consensus to recommend moxibustion for reducing nausea and vomiting among patients receiving chemotherapy.
Traditional medicine
Moxibustion is used in traditional Chinese medicine and is recommended in guidelines from Chinese integrative practitioners.
Learn more about traditional medicine and how to find practitioners: Finding Integrative Oncologists and Other Practitioners ›
