Treating Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition where damage has been done to your optic nerve, affecting your vision. This is usually due to a blockage or increase of pressure in the eye. It can also be a result of injury or a side effect. 

How Glaucoma is Diagnosed

To diagnose glaucoma, your ophthalmologist will perform a comprehensive eye exam. Your physician will check for signs of deterioration, including loss of nerve tissue and certain eye problems that could be consistent with glaucoma. They might use one or multiple of the following examinations

  • Detailed medical history – This is to go over the symptoms you have been experiencing and to see if you have any history of glaucoma. This exam is used to identify any other health effects that can cause glaucoma such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It is also important to evaluate the medical history of your family as this condition can be passed down genetically and risk rates vary through ethnicity. 
  • Tonometry test – to measure the eyes internal pressure 
  • Pachymetry test – to measure the thinness of the cornea as thinner corneas are more susceptible 
  • Perimetry test – also called a vision field test, this is to measure your side and central vision to know if it is being affected
  • Optic nerve monitoring – pictures may be taken to motor changes in the nerve over time 

Treating Glaucoma

The goal of glaucoma treatment is to reduce pressure within the eye in order to prevent further vision loss. Typically, doctors will recommend that you begin treatment with prescription eye drops. If eye drops alone don’t provide the desired results, next steps include

  • Medication – IOP (intraocular pressure) medications are available in many different forms. Adrenergic antagonists (Timolol, Betaxolol), carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (Dorzolamide, Brinzolamide), cholinergics (Pilocarpine) and others. 
  • Surgery – if a blocked or slow channel is causing increased IOP your doctor may suggest surgery to create drainage passageways for excess fluid or destroy tissues that contribute to the inflammation process.

Treatment for angle-closure glaucoma is different. This type of glaucoma is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention. Medicines are usually attempted first, to reverse the angle closure, but this may be unsuccessful. A laser procedure called laser peripheral iridotomy may be performed. This surgery is to make small holes in the iris to promote increased fluid movement.

Acupuncture is an effective treatment for many ailments.

At Centre of Balance we practice and treat glaucoma using Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Acupuncture is proven to be highly effective in the management of glaucoma and will also help to prevent further vision loss. Acupuncture practitioners focus on improving their patients’ general well-being by stimulating specific acupoints (i.e. energy meridians) on the skin. This is to stimulate and promote good flow of qi (energy) and blood through the body. The acupuncturist stimulates the skin to release endorphins in order to relieve pressure inside the eye. By puncturing certain key points on the body, a supplemental impact on overall health is created by raising circulation and enhancing immune function. A combination of these techniques may also be approached for treating glaucoma. 

Get in contact with us today at Centre of Balance to learn more or find out how we can help you today. 

Our Offer to You

Fill in our online questionnaire for free – and save the $135 it would cost you to do this detailed medical history in person with a practitioner.  You can request a phone call from a practitioner after they have read your online form, or just book your initial exam for $40.  Call us on 07 846 7956 to book, or fill in the questionnaire now.

References 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661659/

https://www.healthline.com/health/glaucoma#treatments

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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.