Is your Eye Lazy?--Research Using Acupuncture

About .3-5% of the population is affected by Lazy Eye, also known as Amblyopia.  Lazy eye is a condition, which generally develops in late childhood due to improper eyesight development in the affected eye. The condition is caused by "lack of stimulation to the eye, which may result in visually brain cells not maturing properly."  Amblyopia is the most common cause of one-eye blindness in the United States. Dr. Zhao, MD of the Joint Shantou International Eye Center completed a recent study showing promising affects of using Acupuncture in the treatment of Amblyopia. Dr. Zhao has previously done studies proving Acupuncture was successful in treating dry eyes and myopia as well.

Check out the study and conclusions below:

88 children were assigned two groups:

Acupuncture Group:  43 children. They were given five treatment sessions each week, which targeted five needle insertion sites, also known as acupoints.

Patching Group: 45 children. Their good eye was patched for two hours each day. They had to do near-vision activities with their lazy eye for one hour each day. Near vision activities include reading or typing.

After a total of 15 weeks' worth of treatment: Visual acuity improved by 2.3 lines in the Acupuncture Group Visual acuity improved by 1.8 lines in the Patching Group

75.6% (31) of the children in the Acupuncture Group experienced an improvement of at least two lines 66.7% (28) of the children in the Patching Group experienced an improvement of at least two lines

In the Acupuncture Group lazy eye was considered as resolved in 41.5% of cases In the Patching Group lazy eye was considered as resolved in 16.7% of cases