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Retinitis Pigmentosa Treatment

Retinitis pigmentosa (or RP for short), is when your retina becomes damaged over time, causing vision problems. RP is a group of rare diseases that negatively affect your retina. Your retina is the layer of cells at the back of your eye that allows light to be transferred into signals for your brain. In this article we’ll explore a variety of treatments for retinitis pigmentosa, and how you can manage the condition at home. To find out more about the symptoms and causes of RP click here.

Types of Treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa

Researchers are in the process of discovering new treatments for RP.  So far, although they haven’t found a cure, they have found many ways you can treat and manage RP in your daily life.  Let’s break these treatments down into four types:

  1. Managing your Symptoms
  2. Contact a Professional
  3. Slowing Down the Progression of RP
  4. General Eye Health
Retinitis Pigmentosa Treatment

Managing your Symptoms

There are many ways to improve your quality of life if you have RP.  Having adjustable lighting in your home or workspace can make a huge difference, as can wearing glasses with anti-glare coatings.  These can combat the intensity of bright lights.  To make reading easier, try increasing the text size and thickness on your electronic devices, and using a magnifying glass when reading from paper.  Arranging your furniture so that there are wide, open spaces to walk through can also make life easier.

Contact a Professional

If you have RP, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with a qualified eye health professional, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist.  They can ensure that you get the right prescription for glasses if you need them. 

Retinitis Pigmentosa Treatment

Slowing Down the Progression of RP

Although a cure for RP hasn’t been found so far, there are ways that you can slow down the progression of your condition.  One way is to consume turmeric in your diet.  Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which has been shown to help slow down vision loss. Here are some delicious and healthy plant based recipes containing cumin that you could try.

General Eye Health

To make sure your vision is the best it can be, it’s important to take good care of your overall eye health.  Talk to your eye specialist about any daily habits that you can do to help keep your eyes healthy overall.  Your specialist may recommend taking supplements like vitamin A or others.

Retinitis Pigmentosa Treatment

Upcoming Treatments for Retinitis Pigmentosa

Aside from the current methods for managing RP, researchers are also developing new ways for you to treat the condition.  These new treatments depend on which gene mutations are causing your condition.  To find out which gene mutations you have, make an appointment with a genetic counsellor.  Depending on which genes are affected, potential RP treatments could involve:

  • A new medication called Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl), that may help replace the gene which lets your retina sense light
  • An injection (called QR-421a) to replace gene mutations (for people with Usher syndrome)
  • Surgery to remove the fluid inside your eye and replace it with healthy genes.

There is also another new treatment called optogenetic therapy, which aims to replace the function of your retina, helping to improve your vision. This treatment involves wearing a special pair of goggles and taking injections.

Retinitis Pigmentosa Treatment

Acupuncture for Retinitis Pigmentosa

If you have RP and are looking for a natural and safe treatment option, why not give acupuncture a try?  One scientific study found that, “Acupuncture entails minimal risk, if administered by a well-trained acupuncturist and may have significant, measurable benefits on residual visual function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa….”.  Acupuncture is a great way to treat RP, because it is a holistic approach that nourishes your whole body, without the risk of unwanted side effects that can come with medications, injections, and surgery.  At Centre of Balance, our team of qualified Chinese Medicine practitioners can help you find the most effective treatment plan for you. To find out more about how acupuncture can treat eye problems, see our website here.

Conclusion

Overall, the western medicine treatments for RP involve managing your condition to reduce the impact of RP on your life, and to slow down the progression of RP.  There are also a variety of upcoming treatments for RP, that address the different gene mutations that cause RP.  However, acupuncture is also an effective treatment for RP, and other eye problems.  Acupuncture is a safe and holistic process that doesn’t pose the same risk of harmful side effects that come with mainstream treatments such as medications. 

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References:

Bittner, A. K., Gould, J. M., Rosenfarb, A., Rozanski, C., & Dagnelie, G. (2014). A pilot study of an acupuncture protocol to improve visual function in retinitis pigmentosa patients. Clinical & Experimental Optometry, 97(3), 240–247. https://doi.org/10.1111/cxo.12117

Centre of Balance – Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. (n.d.). About Us. https://balancetcm.co.nz/about-us/

Centre of Balance – Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. (n.d.). Archive for category: Acupuncture for eye problems. https://balancetcm.co.nz/category/acupuncture-for-eye-problems/

Jewell, T. (2022, September 13). The Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/retinitis-pigmentosa

Phua, S. (2023, February 7). Retinitis Pigmentosa. Centre of Balance – Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. https://balancetcm.co.nz/retinitis-pigmentosa-acupuncture-hamilton-auckland/

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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.