What are the benefits and effects of moxibustion for hepatitis B?

Benefits of moxibustion for hepatitis B include promoting blood circulation, enhancing immunity, warming and unblocking meridians, activating cells, and relieving pain. Its effects also involve improving gastrointestinal function, enhancing sleep quality, reducing fatigue and stress, regulating emotions, and assisting in the treatment of hepatitis B. Detailed analysis is as follows:

I. Benefits

1. Promoting Blood Circulation
Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by infection with the hepatitis B virus, leading to liver inflammation and damage. Moxibustion, as a traditional Chinese medical therapy, is widely used to regulate the body and promote health. It can stimulate the dilation of capillaries on the skin surface, increase blood flow, enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the liver and other organs, and accelerate tissue repair and regeneration.

2. Enhancing Immunity
Moxibustion can stimulate nerve endings on the skin surface, promoting the activation and proliferation of immune cells, strengthening the body's immune function, increasing resistance, and helping combat hepatitis B virus infection and replication.

3. Warming and Unblocking Meridians
Through its warming effect, moxibustion helps unblock the liver meridian and other related meridians, promotes the flow of qi and blood, regulates liver function, alleviates symptoms of liver qi stagnation, and improves overall liver function.

4. Activating Cells
The thermal stimulation of moxibustion enhances cellular metabolic activity, accelerates the shedding of aging cells, and promotes the generation of new cells, thereby supporting the repair and regeneration of liver cells.

5. Relieving Pain
Moxibustion can alter the transmission of pain signals by stimulating skin receptors, thereby reducing the sensation of pain. It also promotes the release of endogenous pain-inhibiting substances such as endorphins and enkephalins, producing an analgesic effect.

II. Effects

1. Improving Gastrointestinal Function
By stimulating acupoints such as Zusanli (ST36), moxibustion helps regulate gastrointestinal function, increases secretion of digestive fluids, improves digestion, and reduces symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort.

2. Enhancing Sleep Quality
Stimulating sleep-related acupoints through moxibustion helps regulate nervous system activity, promotes physical relaxation and mental calmness, improves sleep quality, and enhances rest and recovery capacity.

3. Reducing Fatigue and Stress
The warming effect of moxibustion relaxes tense muscles and nerves, promotes blood circulation, accelerates the metabolism of waste products and toxins, reduces fatigue and stress, and improves overall physical and mental well-being.

4. Regulating Emotions
By stimulating nerve endings, moxibustion helps balance neurotransmitters and promotes the release of "feel-good" hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, which can improve mood and reduce anxiety and depression.

5. Assisting in Hepatitis B Treatment
Moxibustion can serve as an adjunctive therapy for patients with hepatitis B, complementing conventional Western medical treatments to enhance therapeutic outcomes. It may help reduce viral infection and inflammation, promote liver repair and regeneration, alleviate symptoms, and slow disease progression.

Hepatitis B patients should follow medical guidance when undergoing moxibustion therapy to avoid risks of infection, transmission, or worsening of the condition.