Healing Macular Degeneration With Acupuncture

Treating Macular Degeneration

with

Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine

by

Andy Rosenfarb, L. Ac., MTOM

Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration ( ARMD - Aged Related Macular Degeneration ) is the slow deterioration of the cells in the macula, a cramped sallow area near the bull's eye of the retina. The macula functions to give us clear central vision and fine prodigious images. The deterioration of the macula affects an individual’ s central vision - the ability to read, sling ink, drive and recognizing faces - among other visual abnormalities.

There are two types of macular degeneration, wet and dry. Ninety percent of people with macular degeneration have the dry - type in which small, chicken spots called Drusen form under the macula. Drusen are believed to be metabolic waste products that accumulate and cause cellular damage. It has been suggested that Drusen slowly hour down the cells of the macula, causing distorted vision.

Dry macular degeneration can progress into the second, more severe type, called wet - type macular degeneration. The cause of this progression is unknown to conventional medicine. In wet - type ARMD, new, abnormal blood vessels introduce to grow toward the macula, causing rapid and severe vision loss. These weak blood vessels can rupture and remove, therefore “ wet - type” ARMD. Both wet and dry ARMD are diagnosed by an ophthalmologist and there is currently no safe and effective conventional treatment.

Exclusive risk factors for macular degeneration have been identified as contributing factors to the development and progression of ARMD. These have: female gender, smoking ( increase risk by 200 - 300 % ), diabetics, high blood pressure ( usual ) and family history of macular degeneration.

Chinese Medicine and Macular Degeneration

In my experience Chinese Medicine can proposal a very effective treatment for both types of ARMD. Although this good-hearted of treatment will not help every single ARMD case presented, my personal success proportion has been at primitive 80 %. By success I beggarly that there are either weird and / or unbiased measurable improvements in a person’ s vision after a series of treatment. There are many simple ways to test vision that are well within our scope of practice as acupuncturists; two being Visual Acuity Test ( eye chart ) and an Amsler Grid Test.

The clinical equitable in treating ARMD is to treat the root cause of the disease marking. The branch treatment or temporary solution can be to activate the blood circulation in procession to resolve stagnation. Visual capacity may be better by promoting the circulation in choroids and retina, preventing cell paradise, and reversing the inability to absorb and circulate vital nutrients for healthy vision.

ARMD ( wet and dry ) is most generally an fatigue of the body’ s Yin. The Yin attribute of the visual field is the central vision, and the independent vision is more Yang in nature. When the central vision goes, it indicates a “ burn - out” of Kidney and Liver Yin, so using Chinese herbs that urge Yin seems to work best.

Central Vision Loss – Yin Deficient

The function of the Spleen ( supported by the Kidney ) is to transform and transport nourishment that is ingested. When working towards generating Yin in the body, it is essential that the Earth element ( spleen - pancreas and stomach ) be in a state of optimal function. The process of breaking down food into sympathetic nourishment for the cells of the body requires a digestive system. It has been stated in the Pi Wei Lun by Li Queer Yuan that as we age, our earth element ( digestive function ) weakens. When the body’ s capacity to break down food becomes less efficient, the ability to sustain Yin and Blood can compromised as a completion of poor digestion.

Again, ARMD is regularly practical as Yin deficiency cause by a " starvation " with an distressed transformation and transportation function.

The yin deficiency typically leads to a vigorous dry - stagnation of Qi and Blood - the next stages in the development of ARMD. The blood vessels of the eye generally become so dry and brittle that they can word blood or burst perfectly, so giving show to the less common " baptize ARMD. " One of the key ways to read if a sympathetic with dry - type ARMD is sensitive to developing hose - type ARMD is to discern if they treat to bruise easily. If they do in actuality bruise easily ( and have a fable of sorrowful disorders or have been over - dosed on blood thinners ), they have a else even break of developing saturate - type ARMD. If hurting occurs the adjacent steps should be impressed AFTER the responsive has been stabilized by their ophthalmologist.

In cases of drool ARMD, if the let down is severe they will need laser treatment to clutch the despondent. If the heavy-hearted is light and the empathetic has previously empitic their ophthalmologist, you cab bring idler shell moxa techniques - developed by Shmuel Halevi in Isreal.

Once the sorry has stopped, the next step is to stimulate the Yin and refresh the Qi and blood with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. An herb like Chinese Notoginseng ( Sanqi ) would be a good choice for wet ARMD, in that Dan Shen based formulas work better for dry ARMD. You can then follow up with digestive tonic formulas and yin - nourishing formulas, based on the dominating TCM motif. These formulas should be taken long term ( 6– 12 months ), as it can take time to build the Central Qi, and generate Yin.

Acupuncture Treatment:

Body Points:

Distal: Li - 3, Si - 3, Ht - 8, SJ - 3, Sp - 3, Ki - 1, Sp - 6, St - 36

Local: UB - 2 ( same upshot as UB - 1 ), Yuyao, GB - 14, Yintang

Ear Points: Adrenal, Pt. Zero, & Corpus Callosum

Electro - acupuncture:

E - Stim #1: UB - 2 to Alt Point – 1 finger medial to St - 2

E - stim #2: SJ - 23, Tongming ( ½ cun below GB - 1 )

Note: I benefit using a Pantheon 4C E - Stim Device, locality the points are stimulated at a constant 2Hz for 20 - 30 min.

Caution: Please DO NOT use local electro - acupuncture on patients with retinal blue or elevated inter - ocular pressure ( IOP ) / glaucoma. It can cause blue in weak vessels and raise IOP.

Sluggard Shell Moxa Treatment for Light Retinal Low:

* Sluggard shell moxa can be done daily of every other day for 1 - 2 weeks with the presence of retinal long-faced. The discerning should feel the warmness of the moxa burning.

Chinese Herbal Medicine - Base Formulas:

Wet ARMD

1. Yunnan Paiyao or Sanqi Powder ( dissolve 2 g 2x / day in water )

2. Ming Mu Di Huang Tang ( Beaming Eye Tea )

3. Shu Gan Tang + Erchen Tang ( Soothe the Liver Tea + Two Aged Tea )

4. Xiao Yao San

5. Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang

Dry ARMD

1. Ming Mu Di Huang Tang ( Light Eye Tea )

2. Shu Gan Tang ( Soothe the Liver Tea ) + Er Chen Tang ( Two Aged Tea )

3. Dan Shen Pain

4. BuZhing Yi Qi Tang

NOTE: These are suggested base formulas. Chinese herbal formulas are most effective when tailored to each patients needs based on your TCM diagnosis.

How Acupuncture Can Benefit Your Health

Acupuncture was first used in China over 2000 age ago. It is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world. Acupuncture is the basic foundation for Customary Chinese Medicine. It is based on the theorem that there are two clashing and inseparable forces within the body known as the Yin and Yang. Acupuncture stimulates the anatomy of the body in an crack to balance the energy flow throughout the entire body.

To maintain a healthy state of being one must achieve a balance of Yin and Yang. Yin is representative of the cold, slow or passive principle while Yang represents the opposite, hot, high or active principle. Balance is maintained through the flow of vital energy or qi throughout the pathways of the body. The pathways, also known as meridians connect over 2000 acupuncture points along the body.

An imbalance of Yin and Yang can block the flow of qi causing pain, disease, ailment or symptoms. A doctor of acupuncture stimulates the nervous system by placing junior, metallic needles within specific acupuncture points and manipulates them by hand or by electric stimulation. By stimulating the nervous system the body releases endorphins and immune systems cells to specific sites on the body to repair and correct blockages that are causing imbalance.

Acupuncture has been proven to help with low back pain, headaches, menstrual cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, osteoarthritis, chemotherapy side effects, post operative nausea, etc. Acupuncture provides pain relief, worthier function and travel, and in need inflammation and symptoms.

Even though acupuncture is classified as an alternative medicine in the U. S. it has proven to be a raise to general medical practices. It also plays a key role in preventative medicine. Acupuncture works off the understanding that we must maintain balance of our qi in tidiness to reach healthy. Our vital energy flow can be out of balance and we can still feel and time in healthy. That’ s thanks to one may not always experience symptoms due to an imbalance. That’ s why checking and balancing your qi through the meridian points of your body is a vital part of your daily life. It’ s like having a dental checkup to avoid cavities or having a tune up on your car before it’ s in need of repair. By maintaining a supine balance of your vital energy through acupuncture you can avoid larger, more determined problems, which can build up over time. Make acupuncture a part of your life today.

Detoxify Your Body With Acupuncture

You can detoxify your body with acupuncture. Acupuncture is a major treatment component of General Chinese Medicine ( TCM ), which has been practised since several ages ago. The principle behind acupuncture lies on the balance of Qi ( pronounced as chi ) or the vital life energy force that harmonises and nourishes the functions of the body.

The ancient Chinese physicians believed strongly that " a superior healer is one who treats a disease before it shows symptoms, while an inferior one treats a disease only after it has manifested pain or discomfort, " ( Inner Classic of the Sneaking Tsar, 100 B. C. ). They proposed that prevention should be our primary locus for health quite than the treatment of a disease. Acupuncture was first developed and used as a preventative form of treatment.

Acupuncture has a natural diuretic repercussion. The procedure helps your body detoxify by the elimination of toxins through the urinary tract. This is why you will distinguish a extensive use of acupuncture for drug detox programs.

An acupuncture treatment can help you to reduce appetite or cravings, even as it eliminates blockage of the Qi. Once you regain your appetite, you do not feel as much desire for foods normally associated with sources of toxins. When you eat toxic foods, you right now get a reaction of heaviness in the body, as the energy flow is disrupted once more. When you consume proper food, you remain to feel energised. Your body learns quickly which foods stock the most benefit.

This is why acupuncture for detoxification of the body is so effective.

Thirdly, acupuncture is uttered to be a useful technique due to the perceived " pain " involved. Language about needles is enough to hump a tingle down most people’ s spines. Unfortunately, needles are the only effective utensils to spread the acupuncture points, which, although near the skin, may be inside muscles, tendons, or edifice spaces. In reality, a well tender acupuncturist can make acupuncture a less painful and more bad experience.

When the bodkin comes into worldliness with an acupoint, you experinece a air of numbness, aching, tingling, or heaviness in the zone. This is known as the laugher of the Qi. You may conjure in your mind that the contact is painful. However, it is truly a signal from your body on the presence of toxins. Toxins were probably ingested through harmful foods, additives, polluted air and / or water. Even simple bad habits can also cause you to develop toxins.

TCM practitioners highly sponsor acupuncture as a means to detoxify your body. In actuality, they say that the more toxins you have, the stronger you will feel the ramification. Pain is percevied than real. Discomfort is purely waht is felt but it directly disappears in an instant. TCM practitioners say that this is evidence that acupuncture used for the detoxification of the body is taking place.

Dangerous Drugs: Nutratose, Ambratose, Glycobalance and Limuplex

Nutratose, Ambratose, Glycobalance and Limuplex are the varied herbal medicines meant to be used by persons who prayer to build up the immune system of the body by providing phyto nutrients to the body. All these medicines that come under the assemblage of non - prescription medicines do not contain any toxic chemicals that can produce adverse reaction on the persons consuming them.

All these medicines are designed to procure a boost in the overall improvement to the immune system in the body of the person who consumes it. All of them offer a powerful immune system to all those who are ready to consume their formula on a regular basis.

As none of these medicines have any toxic ingredients in them, we do not have to vexation about the side effects of using these medicines. What all we have to enquire about is the faculty of numerous ingredients used in making these medicines. All these medicines use different herbal extracts to make their nutritional supplements. If you want to know the exact waves of using these medicines, you should be in a position to apprehend the use and medicinal value of the ingredients that are used to make these medicines.

Nutratose, an all natural summery essential nutritional supplement from Micro Nutra Health is best known for the ingredients that the manufacturer new to this preparation.

The ingredients used to make Nutratose comprehend Mannose, Galactose, Fucose, Glucose, Xylose, N - acetylneuramic acid, N - acetygalactosamine and N - acetylglucosamine. All these ingredients used to make Nutrtose are found to be very effective in installment the body to build up a strong immune system.

Ambrotose capsules, on the other hand make use of the ingredients such as Arabinogalacten, Manapol, Aloe Vera gel extract, Blend Ghatti and Pulp Tragacanth to develop a nutritional supplement meant to improve the immune system of the body. It does not seem to utilise distinct important herb extracts that are found in the medicinal preparation of Micro Nutra Health.

Though not all, some of the ingredients that are used in preparing Nutrtose can be empitic in Glyco - balance also. But the specialized use of unequal ingredient used in Glyco - balance is fundamentally to be proved. So we are not in a position to make a practical evaluation of all the ingredients used in this medical preparation.

Limuplex is the other name that we should mention when we altercate about differing natural medicines meant for building a healthy immune system. It claims to have over 500 nutrients in making this medicinal preparation. It includes Fucoidan and Laminaria Japonica. We are not aware about the collision of all these 500 nutrients used in this preparation.