Dawes Nigel C, Anastasi Joyce K
NYU Special Studies in Symptom Management, NY Kampo Institute, New York, NY, USA.
Special Studies in Symptom Management, Independence Foundation Endowed Professor, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Curr Res Compliment Altern Med. 2022;6(1). doi: 10.29011/2577-2201.100053. Epub 2022 Feb 23.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has evolved over thousands of years. TCM practitioners use various approaches (such as acupuncture and tai chi) as well as herbal products to address health problems. Though lesser known in the west, the practice of Moxibustion is an integral part of Traditional East Asian Medicine. Moxibustion is an important non-invasive treatment that has shown to be beneficial in treating painful syndromes including neuropathy. It has been suggested that moxibustion may alleviate neuroinflammation by inhibiting NF-kB and by activating Nrf2. These anti-inflammatory and protective mechanisms could be key to exploring the use of moxibustion in treating other etiologies of neuropathy including HIV. There is ample scope for future study in this area and consideration of the history, development and practical applications of moxibustion therapy may be of help in this regard. This article seeks to explore the background, principles, and application of moxibustion in the clinical setting with particular emphasis on its potential for symptom management in the treatment of neuropathy and pain.
中医历经数千年发展而来。中医从业者运用多种方法（如针灸和太极）以及草药产品来解决健康问题。艾灸疗法虽在西方鲜为人知，但却是传统东亚医学的重要组成部分。艾灸是一种重要的非侵入性治疗方法，已证明对治疗包括神经病变在内的疼痛综合征有益。有人提出，艾灸可能通过抑制核因子-κB（NF-κB）和激活核因子E2相关因子2（Nrf2）来减轻神经炎症。这些抗炎和保护机制可能是探索艾灸用于治疗包括艾滋病病毒（HIV）在内的其他神经病变病因的关键。该领域未来有很大的研究空间，考虑艾灸疗法的历史、发展和实际应用在这方面可能会有所帮助。本文旨在探讨艾灸在临床环境中的背景、原理和应用，特别强调其在治疗神经病变和疼痛方面进行症状管理的潜力。
