A Japanese physician applying moxa (a substance produced from leaves of various wormwoods) as a cautery: igniting it on the skin of a patient's back. Wood engraving by Gauchard Brunier, c. 1870s. Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that uses burning "cigars" of moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia.