Expectation: Importance of Having Realistic Expectations for a Positive Treatment Experience for Vision Disorders

At the Arkansas Acupuncture Center, I treat a variety of degenerative eye diseases using microacupuncture, a specialized form of acupuncture known to benefit people who have vision loss.  It is not a cure, but a treatment that often helps restore some of the vision lost by repairing the damage caused by the disease.  Glaucoma, geographic atrophy, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and several optic nerve diseases can be successfully treated with microacupuncture.  

When speaking to patients for the first time about receiving acupuncture for degenerative eye diseases, it is essential to determine what the patient’s level of vision is, and what they  hope to achieve from receiving treatments for their eye disease. Putting that information together I can give some idea of what they might expect from treatment.  I also explain the this is an ongoing treatment, not a one and done. Since it is a treatment that helps the eyes heal from the damage caused by the disease, the patient may lose some vision after a time, so they need to return for more treatments. I never want someone coming halfway across the country only to realize that what they hoped for was complete vision restored in one week.  I want them to have reasonable expectations of what we can achieve, and to understand that this is a process that can take some time.  If approached in this way most patients can achieve their treatment goals.  

Most people with significant vision loss will come twice a year for a week of intensive treatments (23 over 5 days).  Week-long treatments can occur anywhere from once every two years to three times a year.  Patients receiving acupuncture for Retinitis Pigmentosa will often return for microacupuncture treatment three times a year for the first couple of years. Then twice a year. Someone receiving acupuncture for AMD may come twice a year.  If no vision has been lost they may come every two years unless and until they start to lose vision.   

How does one determine the success rate?  Success is subjective.  If you expect full recovery in a week you will feel that this is not a success.  If you understand what to expect depending on your particular condition, you will feel that the microacupuncture treatments are a great success.  It is important to discuss what you can expect with the practitioner, and align that expectation with your own.  This applies to all modalities, not just acupuncture for vision loss.