acupuncture procedure for treating myopia with dry eye

Standardizing Press Needle Treatment for Myopia with Dry Eye

Myopia is a refractive error; when the eye is in a relaxed state of adjustment, parallel light rays are focused in front of the retina after passing through the refractive retina, resulting in a clear image on the retina, which is called myopia. The main manifestations of this disease are clear vision of near objects and blurred vision of distant objects1. When the normal eye adjusts to a relaxed state, the parallel light rays from 5 m away pass through the refractive system of the eye, and the focus falls on the retina, forming a clear image. However, when a myopic patient sees a distant object 5 m away, the parallel light rays are focused in front of the retina after passing through the refractive system of the eyeball, so the vision will be blurred. If you look at a near object within 5 m, the parallel light rays will be focused on the retina after passing through the refractive system of the eyeball, and it will be clearer. Due to the rapid changes in the socio-economic environment in recent years, the widespread use of electronic screens, and the increase of refined eye use methods, the incidence of myopia has increased rapidly, and it is showing a trend of younger age, which has a serious impact on social health.
According to statistics, the number of myopic people in the world will reach nearly 5 billion in 2050. With the spread of computers and smartphones, coupled with the impact of the previous novel coronavirus outbreak, more and more myopic patients are beginning to have comorbid dry eye symptoms2. Nearly 400 million people in China suffer from dry eye, and the prevalence of dry eye in myopia is significantly higher than that in emmetropia and hyperopia, and the incidence of dry eye in myopic adolescents is about 20%. Tear deficiency and tear film instability are key factors that lead to dry eye, and changes in the cornea and increased eyelid space during eye elongation in myopia patients can cause uneven tear film distribution, resulting in decreased tear film stability, which increases the risk of dry eye.
Dry eye syndrome is characterized by an imbalance of tear film and eye discomfort. It is a chronic inflammatory reaction of corneal conjunctival dryness, which is mainly manifested by sensitivity to the external environment, insufficient tear fluid, and foreign eye sensation. It can lead to corneal conjunctival lesions and visual impairment, and then affect the quality of life and vision of patients3. The etiology of dry eye is complex; the main cause is the abnormal quality, quantity, and dynamics of tears, resulting in tear film instability or imbalance of ocular surface microenvironment. The specific onset of the disease is related to the patient&#39;s ocular surface tear film osmotic pressure changes, immune inflammatory response, tear film hyperoxidation, neuroparesthesia, and apoptosis, and the pathological process involves MAPK, NF-&#954;B, Wnt, TLR, PI3K/AKT, and other signaling pathways4,5.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the main pathogenesis of dry eye in myopia patients is liver and kidney insufficiency. In the Yellow Emperor&#39;s Neijing-Su Wen, it is recorded that &#34;the five internal organs and six internal organs are infiltrated into the eyes&#34;, which shows that the dysfunction of the internal organs, the insufficient production of the fluid to moisturize the eyes, or the poor infusion are important pathogeneses. Yinhai Subtlety clearly states: &#34;Tears are less responsible for the deficiency of liver and kidney&#34;-the main blood of the liver is the outer part of the eye, the liver blood is enough, and the liver qi is regulated, and the subtle substances are injected on the surface of the eye for tears. The main water of the kidney is the source of the fluid, and the kidney is sufficient, the kidney qi is full, and the source of the whole body is sufficient. The liver and kidney essence and blood are homologous and interconnected, so liver and kidney insufficiency is an important pathogenesis6. At present, the clinical treatment of dry eye is mainly based on artificial tears, vitamins, nerve growth factor, and thermal pulse therapy, which has good short-term effects, but the long-term effects are still limited. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment is mainly based on the internal administration of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, hot compress fumigation, auricular pressure pills, etc. The durability of the curative effect is good, but the operation is more complicated, and the patient&#39;s compliance is not strong.
Press needle is a kind of intradermal acupuncture, which is widely used in clinical practice, mainly used for the treatment of facial paralysis, insomnia, dysmenorrhea, and other diseases, and has gradually expanded to ophthalmic diseases in recent years, with the characteristics of long-lasting effect, easy operation, low cost, and good patient compliance7. Specifically, a special small needle (0.2-0.3 cm long) is inserted and fixed in the acupoint area or subcutaneously for a long period of burial. There is no need to immediately produce a sense of air when burying the needle, and the air can be adjusted only after the needle is buried. This therapy combines the theory of acupoints and the skin theory of traditional Chinese medicine, adopts the ancient idea of &#34;staying still for a long time&#34;, combines the advantages of traditional acupuncture and thread embedding, and has a long period of continuous stimulation of the skin, to achieve the purpose of preventing and treating diseases.
Press needles can improve unaided distance vision, improve the state of visual fatigue, reduce refraction, and delay the axial growth of myopia patients, which has been confirmed by clinical studies8,9,10. Press needle can improve dry eye and is better than sodium hyaluronate eye drops alone in improving the stability of the tear film, tear secretion, and the degree of corneal epithelial damage in patients with dry eye11,12,13. The effect of press needle combined with auricular pressure beans, traditional Chinese medicine atomization fumigation, and massage in the treatment of dry eye is more significant, which may be related to the regulation of multiple signaling pathways such as MAPK, NF-kB, Wnt, TLR, and PI3K/AKT.
Based on the theory of acupoints and dermatozoa in traditional Chinese medicine, this study was treated with a press needle (Figure 1), aiming to improve the symptoms of dry eye, improve visual function, and quality of life. A press needle is a long-lasting, easy-to-operate, and inexpensive traditional Chinese medicine treatment. To sum up, it is necessary to propose a standard scheme on how to correctly operate acupuncture for the treatment of myopia with dry eye. This article explains how to properly use a press needle to treat dry eye in patients with myopia.

Author Spotlight: Exploring Press Needle Efficacy and Underlying Molecular Pathways

Press Needle: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Myopia Patients with Dry Eye

Our research focuses on using traditional Chinese medicine to prevent and treat eye diseases. Specifically, we are developing a standard operation plan for the treatment of myopia and dry eyes. Press needles can improve the stability of tear film, tear secretion, and corneal athenia injury in patients with dry eyes and is better than sodium, high neural rate eyedrops alone.It may be related to the regulation of MAPK, LFP, B, WNT, TLR, PI3, KAKT, and other signaling pathways. We have observed significant improvement in the dry eye symptoms of myopia patients after acupuncture treatment and leading to improved vision in some cases.

Acupuncture Procedure for Treating Myopia with Dry Eye

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Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

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