Moxibustion. Female acupuncturist examining burning moxa wool on acupuncture points on a female patient's abdomen. Moxa wool is made from dried mugwort leaves (Artemisia vulgaris). Sticks of moxa can also be used to heat the skin directly at acupuncture points. Moxibustion is used to warm the body's Qi (life force), mainly in the treatment of conditions characterized by coldness and dampness. Acupuncture was developed in China on the theory that Qi flows along the body's meridian lines. It is believed that diseases are due to a blockage of this flow. Warming the points along the meridians is thought to restore normal flow.