Not only using acupuncture can a Chinese Medicine practitioner achieve great results treating degenerative eye diseases, but also with Chinese herbal remedies. Medical Pulse Diagnosis (MPD™) allows you to accurately diagnose the pattern, and then simply treat the pulse. The most common aberrations you will see is Blood stasis, deficiency, and Liver and Kidney issues.
Remember, we are not treating western diseases, we are treating the pulse and therefore the underlying pattern of the disease. Simply treat the pulse presentation you see. If the pulse is blocked, give Blood movers. If there is Liver heat, or rising Liver Yang, and the left guan pulse is pounding, then calm down the Liver. If pulses are weak, tonify. To achieve the best and fastest results, it is important to first focus on treating the pulse that is the most aberrated and not try to treat several things at the same time.
Liver heat & fire (for example Glaucoma)
If the left guan pulse is superficial, wiry or convex, and pounding, here is a base formula from Jimmy Chang that you can work with:
- Long Dan Xie Gan Tang 60%
- Ju Hua 20%
- Ma Bian Cao 20%
If the above formula is not strong enough, you can modify and replace Ma Bian Cao:
- Long Dan Xie Gan Tang 40%
- Ju Hua 15%
- Shi Jue Ming 15%
- Jue Ming Zi 15%
- Xia Ku Cao 15%
Blood stasis
If pulses are blocked, then you need to move the blood. Most likely you will find stasis in the Upper Jiao and the head/face. The two main formulas to work with are:
- Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang, for a blocked left cun pulse
- Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang, for a blocked right cun pulse, especially in case of trauma to the face
Often you will find a blocked left and right cun. In such a case combine the two formulas. Add Di Long to improve blood flow in the Luo vessels (retinal arterioles and venules).
If the patient has atherosclerosis, add:
- Dan Shen (improves microcirculation, has an anti-sclerotic effect and is used against thrombocyte aggregation)
- Mu Dan Pi (has an anti-sclerotic action, prevents thrombosis and haemorrhaging in the capillaries).
If the left cun pulse is blocked and the left guan is superficial and pounding combine: Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang and Long Dan Xie Gan Tang, and at least two of any of the following herbs: Ju Hua, Shi Jue Ming, Jue Ming Zi and Xia Ku Cao.
Deficiency
If pulses are generally thin and weak, then tonify. Use formulas like Ren Shen Yang Ying Tang, Shi Quan Da Bu Tang, Gui Pi Tang, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang, You Gui Wan and Zuo Gui Wan, and herbs such as Gou Qi Zi, Wu Wei Zi and Huang Qi.
For Yin, Blood & Qi deficiency with some signs of heat use Zi Shen Ming Mu Tang.
Zi Shen Ming Mu Tang is used to treat eye diseases with Blood and Kidney deficiency and heat signs.
Pulses will tend to be more weak, possibly superficial. You can add some Gou Qi Zi.
If the right cun is weak add Huang Qi.
If the left guan is weak add Wu Wei Zi and Huang Qi.
If the right chi is deep and weak add You Gui Wan or Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan.
If the left chi is superficial and weak, add Zuo Gui Wan.
Liver & Kidney
If the left guan and chi pulses are superficial and weak, indicating Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency, then you may want to work with Qi Ju Di Huang Wan.
If the left guan is superficial and pounding and the left chi is superficial and weak (Liver heat with Kidney Yin Deficiency), then combine Long Dan Xie Gan Tang and Qi Du Di Huang Wan, and at least two of any of the following herbs: Ju Hua, Shi Jue Ming, Jue Ming Zi and Xia Ku Cao.
Special Formula
The formula below can help stop the blood leakages of a Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration:
- 50% Astringents
- 50% Hemostatics
Astringents: equal proportions of He Zi ,Wu Bei Zi, Tian Hua Fen, Ma Chi Xian, Bai Wei, Ce Bai Ye
Hemostatics: equal proportions of Ce Bai Ye, Di Yu, Pu Huang, San Qi, Ou Jie, Xian He Cao
You can also add 20% Si Sheng Wan and reduce the Hemostatics.