Effects of Acupuncture Therapy on Juvenile Myopia

Abstract

The effects of acupuncture treatment were investigated in 200 patients (99 males and 101 females, average age 16.1±0.2 (SE.)) who complained of reduced visual acuity, including juvenile myopia (age 13.25).
Acupuncture treatment involved leaving the needle in place for 15 min, after inserting to a depth of 10-5 mm from the skin surface.
The vital points Taiyo (Ex-HN5), Fuchi (GB-20), Shokyu (ST-1) and Goukoku (LI-4) were the basic points used for acupuncture therapy with Ganen (GB-4), Sanchiku (BL-2), Zui (ST-8) or Kyokuchi (LI-11) as supplemental points depending on individual symptoms. These acupuncture treatments improved the mean acuity by 0.33 in the right eye and 0.31 in the left.
Analysis of these results indicated that acupuncture treatment caused significant improvement of visual acuity (P<0.01). Therefore, acupuncture therapy was considered to be an effective treatment that improved regulation of the ciliary muscle and the pupillary myosis system.