Governor vessel moxibustion: Ancient Chinese medical technology with new vitality.

Moxibustion is an ancient therapeutic technique used in Chinese medicine. Governor Vessel moxibustion (GVM) was developed from long snake moxibustion, a popular technique used in China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, and is significantly more effective than general moxibustion. We aimed to review GVM, including its theoretical basis, choices of moxibustion points and materials, operation procedures, clinical applications, and contraindications.