Your overall health can be reflected in your eyes. Health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes can be manifested in the eyes. Illnesses that are usually associated with systemic health conditions can include vision loss, optic neuritis, or glaucoma. It is this intimate connection between your health and your eyes that Chinese medicine and acupuncture can tap into and use to address vision and eye problems. Acupuncture is a very good treatment for eye conditions. For hundreds of years, this treatment has been used with great success to resolve a wide range of eye problems.
How Acupuncture Treats Eye Disorders
Chinese medicine focuses on the relationship between organs and tissues. At times, the body suffers from an imbalance within that can show up as an eye problem, just as the eye’s health is often an indication of a health problem or an imbalance somewhere in the body.
Any underlying imbalances that are contributing to your symptoms will be addressed when your eye condition is treated with acupuncture. Eye diseases or disorders are directly addressed through the improvement of blood and vital energy (Qi) flow around the eyes.
Acupuncture can treat common eye problems including:
? Optic Atrophy
? Optic Neuritis
? Macular Degeneration
? Chronic Dry Eyes
? Cataracts
? Glaucoma
Acupoints around the Eye
Surrounding the eyes are powerful acupuncture points that help promote eye health. These points convey blood and Qi to the eyes to nourish the organ and tissue and boost the health of the eyes.
UB-1 or Jingming
Jingming in Chinese means Bright eyes. This acupoint is found in the eye’s inner corner. It is a primary acupoint that transports blood and Qi to the eyes and is used the treat blurred vision, conjunctivitis, night blindness, glaucoma, early-stage cataracts, and other types of eye problem.
Yuyao
This point is located directly above the pupil in the hollow of the eyebrow’s midpoint. It is used to treat pain and swelling of the eyes, redness, cloudiness of the cornea, ptosis, twitching of the eyelids, pain in the supraorbital region, and eye strain.
UB-2 or Zanzhu
This acupoint is found in the depression of the eyebrow’s inner end. It is a primary acupoint for the eyes same as Jingming and is used for all sorts of eye conditions. It can help treat glaucoma, twitching of the eyelids, pain and swelling of the eye, redness, excessive tearing, pain in the supraorbital region, failing or blurring vision and headache.
GB-1 or Tonghsiliao
Situated on the eye’s outside corner. When stimulated, this acupoint can brighten the eyes and treat conjunctivitis, early-stage cataracts, itchy dry eyes, photophobia, blurring or failing of vision, pain in the eyes, redness, and headaches.
SJ 23 or Sizhukong
Found in the hollow of the eyebrow’s outside end. This acupoint is indicated used for facial and eye problems such as facial paralysis, toothache, twitching of the eyelids, pain in the eyes, redness of the eyes, and headaches.
St-1 or Chengtsi
With the eyes looking straight forward, this acupoint is between the eye socket and the eyeball directly below the pupil. It can be used for all types of eye problems including excessive tearing, facial paralysis, night blindness, and conjunctivitis.
Qiuhou
Found midway between GB-1 and St-1along the orbit of the eye below the eye; indicated for all kinds of eye disease.
Apart from acupuncture, you can be proactive and do several things each day to avoid eye problems and preserve the health of your eyes. These can include:
? Avoid rubbing the eyes
? Frequently blink and rest when watching TV, working on a computer, or when reading
? Exercise
? Stop smoking
? Keeping your eyes hydrated by drinking eight to 10 glasses of water a day
You should also always protect your eyes from the sun’s glare and harmful UV light by using protective lenses.
Christina Prieto, AP
1617 Hillcrest St
Orlando, FL 32803
Phone: 407-234-6454
www.harmonywellnesscenter.com