Acupuncture and Macular Degeneration – Part One

From birth, we as humans change every day. We go through a complete metamorphosis from the day we are born to when we are ready to pass on, and each year as we blow out another candle on the birthday cake our bodies blow out a candle too. As modern science hasn’t quite worked out the secret to artificial everlasting youth, we look to other sources. We can’t yet preserve ourselves in ice or transfer our conscious mind into robotic material, but we can maintain ourselves as naturally as our bodies are designed.

As we age all our parts age too; we lose the full quality of movement, memory, hearing, but perhaps the most frightening of all is vision loss. Our eyes are the instruments through which navigate our world, and when these instruments begin to deteriorate our perception of reality and the world outside does too. One of the most common types of age related eye disease is Macular Degeneration, settling in sometimes as early as 50 years old. There is no known cure yet for this disease, but there are exciting results of regained vision through regular acupuncture.

 Macular Degeneration and the Eye

Macular Degeneration Eye

As we are focusing on Macular Degeneration in this article, we will begin with the Macula; a small central section of the Retina in charge of our immediate field of vision – what is right in front of us. Usually this is the sharpest and most detailed area of vision, but for those with Macular Degeneration it is the worst.

Normal Macula

The Macula is tiny, around 5 millimetres in diameter and composed of layers of microscopic cells – but to find the absolute core of clarity in our vision we must go even smaller!

The Fovea is a small depression within the macula that “…contains specialized nerve cells that are exclusively of the type known as cones…” (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2007, para. 1). These “cones” are a type of photoreceptor that the Retina only has two of; the other kind is called “Rods”.

Rods help us to see things at lower light levels, and cones let us see the world at brighter light levels and are accountable for our colour vision and fine detail. The Fovea is capable of providing such clear vision as closer to “…the centre of the macula there are no blood vessels to interfere with vision; thus, in this area, vision in bright light and colour perception are keenest…” (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2007, para. 1).

Here is where our main problem lies – with Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) the body creates new blood vessels in the retina to compensate for the older and deteriorated vessels that have become blocked. These new blood vessels are fragile and prone to bleeding into the surrounding tissue; our sensitive cone photoreceptors. This is also what is known as wet macular degeneration (or neovascular) and the most severe for sufferers of AMD. As the broken blood vessels flood the delicate Fovea, our central and most focused area of vision becomes severely and rapidly distorted. Through regular acupuncture the original congested vessels are able to be cleared so that the blood can flow naturally and no new delicate vessels are grown.

Wet Macular Degeneration

The second type of macular degeneration is known as dry (or atrophic). This form of Macular Degeneration isn’t due to burst blood vessels drowning out our core vision, but instead from a build-up of drusen “…made up of lipids, a fatty protein…” (American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2017, para. 1). In this case, the drusen is what clouds the Macula and warps our sight. Much like Wet Macular Degeneration, the drusen is able to be cleared away through regular acupunctural stimulation of the area.

Dry Macular Degeneration

Now that we have a better understanding of the eye and macular degeneration, it’s much easier to comprehend what’s going on in our body and how acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can help us to regulate our body’s natural energy. In part two of the Macular Degeneration series we will explore the symptoms and causes of MD, the western medical approach to treatment compared to traditional Chinese medicine.  To get Chinese Medicine treatment for eye problems like macular degeneration, contact one of our Centre of Balance clinics in Hamilton and Remuera, Auckland on 0800 221 224.

To continue on to part two of Macular Degeneration and Acupuncture click here.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.