Richmond Moxibustion Services
Providing a therapeutic and relaxing experience to help people move forward in their healing process, balancing the mind, body and spirit.
Moxibustion is used alongside acupuncture treatments and involves burning the mugwort herb over acupoints for therapeutic purposes.
The word "Moxa" is short for Moxibustion. Moxibustion warms the body, improves the circulation of blood and provides anti-viral, anti-biotic anti-parasitic and pain-relieving benefits. We use moxibustion to treat infertility, pain, injuries, arthritis and digestive orders among other ailments.
At Healing River Acupuncture, we provide both direct and indirect moxibustion. A cone shaped moxa is placed onto the skin and burned in direct moxa, while a lit moxa stick is held over an acupuncture point with indrect moxa.
Moxibustion FAQ
What is Moxibustion?
Moxibustion is a part of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) that is commonly used with acupuncture. It is a heat-therapy that uses mugwort (Artemesia) that is applied to acupuncture points and heated up to affect Qi and blood.
What is Moxibustion for?
Just like acupuncture, moxa is used to treat many different conditions. The most common ones we encounter in the clinic include reducing swelling from trauma, relieving muscle tension and stiffness, increasing blood circulation, removing dampness and cold, arthritis and even turning breech babies!
History and practice of Moxibustion
You’re lighting it up! Will it burn me?
There are many different types of moxibustion (or moxa for short). All of them are safe and don’t usually leave burn marks. (There is a special type that is for chronic and serious cases where we do burn the skin on purpose but that is rarely used.) There is always a risk involved since it is lighted up, but the practitioner will be careful to extinguish it before it contacts the skin – otherwise both patient and practitioner will feel it!
I don’t like it. Do we have to do it?
If you don’t like the sensation of the heat, or the smell of the moxa, there are other alternatives to treatment. Let your practitioner know.
Begin your journey back to health, vitality and balance today!
About Us
At Healing River Acupuncture Centre, we use acupuncture therapy to restore and rejuvenate the health of our clients by activating their body's own ability to heal itself. To compliment the acupuncture treatments, we often provide Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy to supply the body with the nutrition and resources it needs to heal. The combination of acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal therapy has been known to successfully treat a wide range of chronic and acute conditions that Western medicine has had difficulty treating effectively.
Healing River Acupuncture Centre was established in Steveston Village in 2009 by Bobbi Hayashi and has been operating from the same location where it is today ever since. The clinic was transferred in 2018 to Chrystal Malapas, who continues to operate and manage the Richmond acupuncture clinic. All acupuncturists on staff are very experienced, well-trained and certified.
Chrystal Malapas
Reg. Acupuncturist, B.Sc., R.Ac.
She is a graduate of the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) program at PCU College of Holistic Medicine in Burnaby, BC. Chrystal also did training in Acupuncture at the Western Canadian Institute of TCM Practitioners in Richmond, BC.
Chrystal also has additional training in Japanese Meridian Therapy with Ikeda Masakazu sensei and Edward Obaidey sensei.
Chrystal obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biology under the Pre-Med Program from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. A last minute decision to take an elective TCM class in her final year of university transformed her outlook. After finding success in the treatment of a lifelong condition by TCM, Chrystal decided to dedicate her life to TCM.
Inspired by experience, Chrystal is passionate about helping others regain their health.
Workdays: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Begin your journey back to health, vitality and balance today!
Contact Us
Call Us
(604) 277-5550Address & Location
3571 Chatham St #105, Richmond BC
We are located in Steveston Village at Chatham St and Third Ave.
Free parking is available in our parking lot or on the street.
Contact Form
Clinic Hours
| Monday | 10am – 6pm |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 10am – 6pm |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | 10am – 6pm |
| Saturday | 10am – 6pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Moxibustion Testimonials
Begin your journey back to health, vitality and balance today!