Many people are aware of the many health benefits that acupuncture offers, from alleviating chronic pain and improving digestive function, to helping us get a better night’s sleep and enhancing our overall sense of physical and emotional well-being.
But did you know that acupuncture can also help to improve your eyesight?
My name is Dr Houng Lau, and my journey into vision acupuncture to assist patients with retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt’s and various other eye conditions has been a long one. In 2015, I studied with internationally recognised author and researcher Andy Rosenfarb, and eventually travelled to his clinic in the United States.
From here, my association with Naomi Jansson of Vision Acupuncture opened up the opportunity to treat her patients while COVID travel restrictions prevented her from being able to do so. Today, we work closely alongside each other on patient cases.
What is retinitis pigmentosa, and how does it affect our vision?
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) affects the retina, which is situated at the back of the eye. The tissue there deals with light sensitivity, and vision loss is caused by RP making the cells in the retina break down.
This is a genetic disease that people are born with, and symptoms usually start in childhood – most people eventually lose most of their sight. There’s no cure for RP, but with a combination of supplements and acupuncture, we may be able to assist with slowing down the degeneration of the cells and improve sight.
How can acupuncture support improvements to eyesight?
Acupuncture may benefit the eyes in the following ways:
- Encouraging the awakening of dormant photoreceptor cells – “rebooting” these cells to start capturing more light for vision
- Encouraging the release of nerve growth factors – enticing your ocular nerve cells to start growing and repairing
- Supporting increases in local stem cell activity for a potential increase in repair and regeneration
- Promoting parasympathetic response
- Helping to calm the nervous system – a system cannot regenerate when it’s not in a place of rest
- Increasing neuroplasticity – rewiring and firing to optimise remaining visual system (your brain can rewire itself to create new pathways and improve over past function)
- Facilitating the repair of the ocular vascular system – better blood flow is one of the keys of ocular health
- Helping to maintain the ocular microbiome – your eyes, as your gut, have a specific biome that is optimal
If you suffer from vision loss, dry eyes or headaches from tired or strained eyes, Eastern Therapies Clinic can provide tailored acupuncture treatment to alleviate these symptoms.
Supporting management of conditions like retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt’s with acupuncture
In traditional Eastern medicine, eyes play a crucial part in diagnosing someone’s overall health and well-being. The condition of someone’s eyes can be evidence of illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as these are often associated with vision loss, glaucoma and other forms of deteriorating eyesight.
Given that the liver and the eyes are on the same meridian, in Eastern medicine we’ll often observe the condition of a person’s liver as an indication of what might be causing blurry or loss of vision. As good blood flow is essential to good vision, our practitioners will also focus on promoting circulation in the regions around the eyes.
Book an appointment or contact us for more information
To speak with Eastern Therapies about how acupuncture can be good for improving eyesight and treating other eye diseases, don’t hesitate to call us on 0400 331 321 or book an appointment online.
Disclaimer: Kindly note that results for clients may vary. The work I do is never in isolation; it is always a team effort which includes that clients work on their lifestyle choices, along with my treatment.
