Yin Yang House | Acupuncture for Optic Nerve Atrophy - Treatment Protocols General Approaches

Acupuncture For Optic Nerve Atrophy - 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 optic nerve atrophy, one might find one or a combination of the following patterns: kidney yin deficiency, liver blood stagnation, liver qi stagnation, liver yin deficiency, spleen blood deficiency, spleen qi deficiency among many other possibilities and possible combinations.

Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for optic nerve atrophy. 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:
1. KD/LV Yin Deficiency - eyes not nourished by essence and Blood
2. SP Deficiency - from irregular diet, stress, inadequate nutrients leading to Qi/Blood deficiencies
3. LV Qi and Blood Stagnation - emotional issues causing failure of the essential Qi to reach the eyes
Differentiation:
- KD/LV Yin Deficiency
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Dry eyes, blurred vision, dizziness, tinnitus, achy lower back, nocturnal emissions
    
    Tongue: Red w/no coat
    
    Pulse: Thin, weak
  - Treatment Points:
    
    UB 2, GB 20, GB 39, GB 37 - general points
    
    LV 3
    
    UB 18 - LV Shu
    
    KD 3
    
    UB 23 - KD Shu
- SP Deficiency
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Blurred vision, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools
    
    Tongue: Pale w/thin white coat
    
    Pulse: Thin, weak
  - Treatment Points:
    
    UB 2, GB 20, GB 39, GB 37 - general points
    
    SP 6
    
    ST 36
- LV Qi and Blood Stagnation
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Blurred vision, dizziness, vertigo, emotional depression, bitter taste in mouth, hypochondriac pain
    
    Tongue: Red w/yellow coat
    
    Pulse: Wiry
  - Treatment Points:
    
    UB 2, GB 20, GB 39, GB 37 - general points
    
    LV 3
    
    LV 14 - LV Mu
    
    GB 34

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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