Moxa to the Rescue, Researching Moxa in the Treatment of Long Covid • Merlin Young

#250

May 3, 2022

Methods, Moxibustion, Research

Moxa to the Rescue, Researching Moxa in the Treatment of Long Covid
Merlin Young

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Moxa doesn’t just stimulate Qi; it replenishes the vital life force. This Chinese medicine treatment brings nourishment in the form of pure yang that potentially rejuvenates the immune system and restores dysfunctional internal environments. These functions raise the question: can moxa be an effective treatment for Long COVID, which appears to feed off a weakened immune system?

In this conversation with Merlin Young, we talk about the mission of Moxafrica in designing a cheap, adaptable, and safe intervention for COVID long-haulers. We explore how his non-profit is trying to replicate the positive results they saw in moxa treatment for antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis. And how the results of their research could make a difference for long-haulers and provide our East Asian medicine community with valuable research on how moxa might help with the sequela of the coronavirus.

Listen into this discussion on Moxafrica’s investigation into the potential effectiveness of moxa as a treatment for Long COVID.

In this episode, we discuss:

Utilizing Moxafrica (a British charity) resources to investigate long haul COVID
The role of Chinese medicine as a treatment for novel health issues and pathogens
Designing moxa-points and protocols to help with the lingering symptom of long COVID
The injustice of medical provision affecting the “global south of the majority.”
Enrollment for ‘The Moxa-Long-COVID 100 Days Challenge’ – challenges, qualifications, and structure of the process
The research methodology implemented by Moxafrica in establishing the most beneficial moxa protocol
How do you teach people to self-moxa? Do you have a support system in place?
Promoting the Moxafrica 100-day challenge
Giving people power over their destiny

Take your acumoxa seriously, but never take yourself seriously!

Merlin Young

Merlin Young is a UK acumoxa therapist with leanings towards Japanese styles of practice. This has involved deep delvings into Japanese moxa traditions which continue to captivate him, resulting in a generalist book on moxa (‘the Moon over Matsushima’) as well as one on drug-resistant tuberculosis (‘Blowing in the Wind’ – thanks Bob, for the catchy title!). In 2008 he co-founded the Moxafrica charity and has worked intensively since to achieve its aims and objectives. This has involved forays into Uganda, South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia, Japan, China and North Korea.

The aims of charity have been partially met by three RCTs looking at how moxa helps recovery from TB and MDR-TB, as well as preventing activation of TB disease from latency – but the necessary subsequent engagement of key players in the field of global biomedicine to help take the necessary next steps remains frustratingly elusive.