Yin Yang House | Acupuncture for Eye and Vision Problems - Treatment Protocols General Approaches

Acupuncture For Eye And Vision Problems - Treatment Protocols

Acupuncture treatment protocols are generally directed towards the deeper root of a persons set of health issues, not at each individual issue. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, treatment is generally directed towards the individuals diagnostic pattern(s) and their primary issue is only a part of the information required to approach the correct patterns to treat (see "treating the cause vs. the symptoms" for an introduction to this process.).

In designing an acupuncture protocol for eye problems, one might find one or a combination of the following patterns: kidney yin deficiency, liver qi stagnation, liver wind, lung wind invasion - wind heat among many other possibilities and possible combinations.

Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for eye and vision issues. There are many ways to approach the treatment of this condition within TCM. Our presentation describes foundational approaches that would need to be further tailored in most cases to be effective for a given individual.

Etiology & Pathology:
- Exterior - wind-heat, acute, chronic eye problems usually present with LV excess or KD & LV together
- Interior - from excess or deficiency
- Eye Symptoms are roughly the same for both etiologies - congestion, swelling, pain, photophobia, excessive tearing, itchy eyes, sticky discharge
Differentiation:
- Exterior Wind-Heat
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Eye symptoms, fever
    
    Tongue: Thin, white (poss. yellow) coat, red tip
    
    Pulse: Floating, rapid
  - Treatment Points:
    
    UB 2, GB 20, Taiyang, LI 4 - general points
    
    Wind-heat - TH 5 or LI 11, possibly GV 14 - clear heat
- Interior LV/GB Rising
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Eye symptoms, red eyes, irritability, bitter taste in mouth, constipation
    
    Tongue: Red w/yellow coat
    
    Pulse: wiry
  - Treatment Points:
    
    UB 2, GB 20, Taiyang, LI 4 - general points
    
    LV Fire - LV 2, possibly GB 43
    
    Could use Yang Qiao (UB 62/SI 3) for heat w/excess in the eyes or Yin Qiao (KD 6/LU 7) for dry eyes

The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:

St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes

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