Table 3.
Adverse events associated with moxibustion.
| Author/year/country | Cases age/sex | Disease treated | Moxibustion treatment | Adverse event | Practitioner | Follow-up | Causality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhang and Yang 2006, China | 36 (F) | Dysmenorrhea | Indirect moxibustion with moxa box | Local allergy | Practitioner | Recovered (1 d) | Possible (1, 1, 0, 0, 0) |
| Feng and An 2005, China | 66 (F) | Shoulder pain | NCa | Local allergy | Practitioner | Recovered (1 d) | Certain (1, 1, 0, 1, 1) |
| Hou 2008, China | 1 (F) | Right wrist pain | NC | Local allergy | Practitioner | Recovered | Certain (1, 1, 0, 1, 1) |
| Li and Liu 2000, China | 28 (F) | Facial paralysis | Indirect moxibustion with moxa stick | Local allergy | Practitioner | Recovered | Certain (1, 1, 0, 1, 1) |
| Li and Liu 2008, China | 32 (F) | NC | Stay in moxibustion room | Local allergy | NC | Recovered (3 d) | Possible (1, 0, 1, 0, 0) |
| 22 (F) | Menstrual abdominal pain | Indirect moxibustion with moxa stick | Local allergy | Practitioner | Recovered (7 d) | Certain (1, 1, 1, 1, 0) | |
| Wang 1998, China | 28 (F) | Dyspepsia | Moxibustion in a closed room | Full-body allergy | Self | Recovered (3 d) | Likely (1, 0, 1, 0, 1) |
| Li 2002, China | Newborns | NC | Spark moxibustion | Burn and infection | NC | NC | Certainb (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Li 1989, China | 18 (F) | Lower limb paralysis | Moxibustion with moxa stick | Burn | Practitioner | Recovered (40 d) | Certain (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Condé-Salazar et al. 1991, Spain | 40 (M) | Tennis elbow | NC | Burn | Practitioner | NC | Certain (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Reinhart and Ruhs 1985, U.S. | 2.5 (M) | Hyperthermia and seizures | Folk moxibustion | Numerous burns | Patient's father | Recovered (1 y) | Certain (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Fisman 2002, USA | 38 (M) | Hepatic cirrhosis | NC | Lesion after burn | NC | NC | Certain (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Carron et al. 1974, U.S. | 58 (M) | Cervical pain and spasm | Direct moxibustion | Burn | Practitioner | NC | Certain (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| 62 (M) | Pain | NC | Burn | Self | NC | Certain (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) | |
| Chau 2006, U.S. | 53 (F) | Intermittent headaches | Scarring direct moxibustion | Cellulitis | Self | Recovered | Likely (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Chong et al. 1982, Korea | 48 (F) | Arthritis | Moxa cauterization | Pasteurella multocida infection of the calf | NC | NC | Possible (1, 1, 0, 0, 0) |
| Choi et al. 2013, Korea | 69 (M) | Insomnia | Jang-chim moxibustion | Pyogenic liver abscess | Practitioner | Recovered (22 d) | Unlikely (0, 1, 0, 0, 0) |
| Lee et al. 2008, Korea | 78 (F) | Diabetes mellitus | Repeated moxibustion over 4 years | Spinal epidural abscess | Self | Recovered (170 d) | Possible (1, 0, 1, 0, 0) |
| Bardia et al. 2006, USA | 66 (M) | NC | Moxibustion and cutting | Hepatitis C | Practitioner | NC | Unlikely (1, 0, 0, 0, 0) |
| Sternfeld et al. 1988, Israel | 82 (F) | Hypochondrial pain | Indirect moxibustion combined with acupuncture and low-power laser exposure | Infection | Self | Recovered | Possible (1, 1, 0, 0, 0) |
| Cai 1999, China | 26 (F) | Breech presentation | Moxibustion at BL67 | Fetal death | Self | Fetal death | Possible (1, 0, 1, 0, 0) |
| Su 1999, China | 1 (F) | Breech presentation | Moxibustion combined with chest-knee position therapy | Premature delivery | Self | Fetal death | Unlikely (1, 0, 0, 0, 0) |
| Wen et al. 2011, China | 47 (F) | Chemotherapy after colorectal cancer surgery | Moxibustion with moxa stick | Nausea and vomiting | Practitioner | Recovered | Likely (1, 0, 1, 0, 1) |
| 51 (M) | Chemotherapy after lung cancer surgery | Moxibustion with moxa stick | Vomiting and insomnia | Practitioner | Recovered | Possible (1, 0, 1, 0, 0) | |
| 68 (F) | Lung cancer complicated with pulmonary infection | Inhalation of moxa smoke | Cough | NC | Recovered | Likely (1, 0, 1, 1, 0) | |
| Chen 1998, China | 41 (F) | Facial paralysis | Direct moxibustion | Lower eyelid loose and ectropion | Practitioner | NC | Likely (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Yun et al. 2009, Korea | 58 (M) | Abdominal pain | Moxibustion on the same site repeatedly 10 years | Basal cell carcinoma | NC | No recurrence (5 y) | Likely (1, 1, 1, 0, 0) |
| Ogata et al. 1992, Japan | 29 (M) | Asthma | Moxibustion and acupuncture | Death | Practitioner | Death | Unlikely (1, 0, 0, 0, 0) |
a"NC": not clear.
bAlthough the scores for these burn cases were less than 4, they were classified as “certain” because they had been directly observed to have been caused by moxibustion.