Abstract
Objective : To increase the safety of moxibustion by understanding moxibustion-prohibited points' distinguishing features through literary inquiry. Method : We searched for moxibustion-prohibited points in Traditional Oriental Medical literature. Results : 1. Upon the advancement of moxibustion technique, the numbers of moxibustion-prohibited points increased. 2. Both Foot Meridians and Hand Meridians have similar percentage of moxibustion-prohibited points. Both Yin Meridians and Yang Meridians have similar percentage of moxibustion-prohibited points. 3. The face has the highest moxibustion-prohibited points ratio. The Back has the lowest moxibustion-prohibited points ratio. 4. We research 80 moxibustion-prohibited points and find 31 moxibustion-prohibitive reasons. A key reasons is that heating effect of moxibustion damages tissues, organs and meridian functions. There are also cases where the moxibustion-prohibited points can be designated upon the patients condition Conclusions : We could learn the distinguishing characteristics of moxibustion-prohibited points from this study. These results suggest that the treatment of moxibustion is more useful and safe.