When any of the body's organs are out of balance, the effects can have a negative impact on your visual acuity and overall eye functioning. As a result, visual impairments can be an early indication of many other health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease, and even cancer or tumors. In turn, health conditions can cause vision and eye health to deteriorate over time, over and above regular age-related degeneration.

There are many healthy habits you can adopt to protect your vision. A healthy diet, exercise, wearing protective eyewear and sunglasses while outdoors, and avoiding smoking are all steps you can take to prevent eye issues as you age. In addition to these lifelong practices, acupuncture can make a significant difference in both healing and preventing vision impairments and defects.

Can acupuncture improve my eyesight?

Visual acuity refers to the measurement of how well you can see. It is the number that “20/20 vision" refers to when someone has ideal visual functioning and what the doctor is scoring during an eye exam when they have you read a series of progressively smaller rows of letters from a chart.

By stimulating blood flow and circulation to the eyes, acupuncture can improve your visual acuity, allowing you to see better. Acupuncture can relieve short-term swollen, red, or itchy eyes. It can also alleviate other symptoms such as dry eyes, excessive tearing, and reduced sensitivity to light.

Rather than over-relying on chemical products, acupuncture triggers the body's natural healing processes to improve your eyesight. Acupuncture works by inserting tiny needles into specific points on the body, releasing the flow of energy and blood.

For eye-related treatments, acupuncture points are typically located above the eyebrows on the low forehead and just under the eyes. The treatment is safe and painless, though it may take several treatments for noticeable effects to be felt.

Does acupuncture treat visual defects?

Visual defects can result from aging, injury, underlying health conditions, and other factors. In addition to improving overall sight, acupuncture can help treat various visual defects. Some examples of visual defects and chronic conditions that can be helped with acupuncture include:

• Age-Related Macular degeneration: This condition is a leading contributor to blindness and affects more than one million people in the United States. Although there is no cure for this condition, acupuncture has been shown to be effective in managing its symptoms and slowing its progression.
• Retinitis pigmentosa: This genetic condition ranges in severity from limited night vision to blindness. A study published in the Clinical and Experimental Optometry journal found acupuncture to be an effective treatment for this condition, in some cases leading to increased night vision after just one week of treatment.
• Glaucoma: Typically treated with eye drops, medications, and, in some cases, surgery, glaucoma is an eye condition resulting from pressure in the eyes leading to progressively worse vision and, ultimately, blindness. Studies have found that acupuncture may increase blood flow and reduce intraocular pressure, resulting in better visual acuity and a greater visual field for glaucoma patients. However, more research is needed to confirm its benefits.

Several clinical trials are ongoing in the United States and abroad to further test and verify the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating various visual defects.

In some cases, acupuncture can also assist with the underlying condition causing visual impairment as well. Acupuncture is known to effectively manage inflammation, which is a commonality among many of the conditions that may result in visual defects.

Whether you are impacted by a severe visual impairment or want to increase your eyes' acuity, acupuncture is a safe and effective intervention. Contact us today to learn more about how acupuncture can address your specific circumstances.

How does acupuncture brighten your eyes?

Acupuncture is an ancient eastern form of medicine that posits that energy flows through channels all along the body. That energy can be stifled, and acupuncture is designed to release those blockages by inserting needles at designated points of the skin, allowing the energy to flow freely once again. There are three primary reasons that eye dysfunction or degeneration happens, and all of them can be treated effectively by acupuncture:

• Poor circulation
• Inflammation
• Oxidative stress

Regarding eye brightening, the targeted points can be found just under the eyes on the upper cheeks and on the low forehead above the eyebrows. In addition to energy flow, acupuncture promotes blood flow and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress. Though science still debates exactly how and why acupuncture works, patients experience compelling results after just a few sessions. Some even see results right away. Acupuncture cannot just brighten the eyes, it can make the entire face look younger.

When done correctly, acupuncture can relieve not just eye symptoms but can also address the underlying conditions that are contributing to poor eye health. Your acupuncturist may also treat points on other body parts corresponding to various internal organs whose dysfunction can negatively impact the eyes. Treatment will often start with a conversation about all of your symptoms and health conditions to help guide the course of treatment.

Is acupuncture safe for my eyes?

The idea of putting a needle, no matter how small, near your face or eyes may be understandably disconcerting. Rest assured, you are safe in the steady hands of a qualified acupuncturist who completes such procedures daily. Acupuncture itself is well regarded as a safe and effective treatment for various health issues and a general wellness practice that promotes overall health and vitality. We often don't think twice about the safety and effectiveness of commonly prescribed Western medical treatments. Many of the go-to remedies for visual defects come with greater risks and side effects than acupuncture, such as medications and surgeries. Acupuncture can play a therapeutic and preventative role, managing symptoms to the point that these more invasive treatments aren't needed.

Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment that can address visual impairments and enhance overall eye health. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to find out how acupuncture can benefit your health. At Fast Relief Acupuncture, our holistic system is designed to promote optimal eye functioning, and you will see and feel the difference.