Disease and Condition Overview
Myopia is characterized by inability to view far away objects clearer. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that myopia occurs because of kidney,liver or heart deficiency due to congenital deficiency, or malnutrition after birth, heart exhaustion and shen damage, loss and damage of heart yang, or inappropriate use of eyes, causing the blockage of the channels in the eyes and inducing malnourishment. It's a common problem in optometry, mostly seen in adolescent.
The causes of myopia are many. Besides heredity, this disease mainly related to bad habits such as prolonged period of reading, or watching television too closely or under too dimmed or strong light, which can cause eye fatigue and hence lead to the myopia.
Pair-point Treatment Combinations
(1)Hegu (LI4), Guangming (GB37) (Fig 54)
Hegu (LI4): on the dorsum of the hand, midway between the junction of the first and second metacarpal bones.
Guangming (GB37) : on the lateral side of the lower leg, 5 cun superior to the tip of the lateral malleolus, on the anterior border of the fibula.
Hegu (LI4) is yuan-source point of hand-yangming channel, dispels wind, reduces lung, opens fu organs and reverses the rising; Guangming (GB37) is the Luo-connecting point of foot-shaoyang channel, connecting to foot-jueyin, clearing liver brightens the eyes, opening the luo-conneeting channels and stopping pain. This pair point combination, one superior and one inferior, one elevates while the other lowers, clears heat reduce fire, dispels wind and brightens the eyes. Appropriate for pseudomyopia.
Needling techniques:
Hegu (LI4) perpendicular insertion 1 cun.
Guangming (GB37) perpendicular insertion 1 cun.
(2)Jingming (BL1). Tianzhu ( BLIO) (Fig 55)
Jingming (BL1): on the face. 0.1 cun lateral and superior to the inner canthus, near the medial orbital border.
Tianzhu (BL10): on the nape, in the depression of the lateral border of the trapezius muscle and 1.3 cun lateral to the midpoint of the posterior hairline.
Jingming (BL1) dispels wind and extinguishes pathogenic factors, clears liver and brightens the eyes; Tianzhu (BL10) soothes stops pare, regulates and harmonizes qi of the taiyang channel. This pair-point combination, one anterior and one posterior, disperses qi and opens the taiyang channel, regulates qi and blood, disperse spathogenic factors and brightens the eyes. Appropriate for early stage of myopia accompanied by eye fatigue.
Needling techniques:
Jingming (BLI) perpendicular insertion 0.5-1 cun.
Tianzhu (BL10 ) perpendicular insertion 1 cun.
Commentaries
Over all, acupuncture is effective for low(<-3DS), medium degree(-3DS--6DS) myopia. For pseudomyopia, it has notable result. The younger the patient, the more effective the treatment is. However, for those patients wearing glasses, the treatment effect isn't as outstanding as those without the glasses. In particular, Jingming (BL1), Tianzhu (BL1 O) soothes eye fatigue. Continued treatment will improve condition of myopia.
In addition to acupuncture treatment, it is important to focus on the correct habits for reading, and watching television. Massage the points around the eyes or close eyes after long hour.