Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration Treatment in Bentonville, AR
MicroAcupuncture for Macular Degeneration
Age-Related Macular Degeneration affects millions of older individuals throughout the world. Most are told there is no help for their condition. Fortunately, MicroAcupuncture is an effective treatment that has helped many suffering from macular degeneration and other vision disorders. Our acupuncturist in Bentonville, Arkansas is highly qualified in utilizing MicroAcupuncture as a treatment for Macular Degeneration. Another term for Macular Degeneration that has recently been coined by medical professionals is Geographic Atrophy.
The Macula is in the center of the retina, it's the part of the eye we look out from. There is a heavy concentration of cones in this area that allows for more detailed vision. Macular Degeneration is a condition that causes the cells in the macula to deteriorate. The deterioration of these cells cause vision loss. What starts as a small blurry spot can enlarge over time leaving the patient with only peripheral vision. Imagine holding a hand right in front of your eyes; you can see around it, but that’s all you can see.
Macular degeneration is caused by the build-up of amyloid beta plaques in the back of the eye. Amyloid beta plaques is the same substance that cause Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, patients with AMD often have fatty deposits called "Druzen Deposits" that build up in the retina.
Your eyes require normal blood circulation for nourishment and healthy regeneration of cells. The capillaries that bring nourishment to the eyes allowing for normal regeneration are very small. If these tiny blood vessels are damaged or blocked for any reason, regeneration of cells is limited. In the absence of regeneration from normal blood flow, there is degeneration. We are told that there are two types of macular degeneration, “dry” and “wet.” However, there is only one type. Dry macular degeneration refers to the disease. Wet macular degeneration is a progression of the disease. About fifteen percent of cases of dry progress to wet.
In a healthy eye there is a barrier that prohibits blood vessels from growing through the retina. The barrier breaks down in the presence of macular degeneration. These new, abnormal blood vessels tend to be weak and can leak fluid into the vitreous, gel in the eye that keeps the eyeball from collapsing. When leaking occurs the patient may lose vision very quickly. It is the presence of abnormal blood vessels that determines the diagnosis of wet AMD, not the leaking of fluid. Some patients will never leak fluid even though they have wet AMD.
When blood vessels are leaking the patient may experience wavy lines in the visual field. Conventional medicine may be necessary to stop the leaking or bleeding. Patients receiving Avastin, Lucentis or laser therapy can be treated with acupuncture while undergoing these injections or laser. Restoring normal blood circulation with MicroAcupuncture can help the eye heal. In cases where patients are partaking in research for drug therapy, receiving acupuncture may skew the results of the research since they will most likely be gaining vision as a result of the MicroAcupuncture. In these cases, patients may want to postpone our treatments.
When a patient with wet AMD has active leaking but is not a candidate for conventional intervention such as Visudyne or Lucentis, the treatments can help to restore vision by aiding the eye in the natural cleansing process. Supplements and proper diet help to strengthen blood vessels in patients with wet AMD, such as avoiding cold foods, icy drinks, spicy foods and artificial sweetener, and eating foods high in vitamin K, such as kale and alfalfa.
What You Need to Know About Macular Degeneration Treatment With MicroAcupuncture
MicroAcupuncture was developed in Denmark by Freddy Dahlgren and Per Otte. The acupuncture treatment has proven to be an effective alternative medical treatment for macular degeneration. It's not a cure, but a treatment that will help heal your eyes from the damage caused by the disease. MicroAcupuncture is one of the best treatments for degenerative eye disorders.
The macula contains about 6 million cells (an area comprising a 16th of an inch). These cells only live for about two days and regenerate constantly. In the presence of Macular Degeneration, regeneration is slowed; thereby resulting in a degeneration of cells. Degeneration is a lack of regeneration. Healing occurs when we stimulate normal blood flow to the eyes, allowing for the removal of plaques and consequent regeneration of cells.
Macular degeneration, often referred to as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over age 50. It is estimated that 15 million Americans have some form of age-related macular degeneration and incidence continues to rise as a result of the increasing percentage of older adults. Macular Degeneration describes a condition where there is insufficient blood getting to the area that feeds the macula in the center of the retina. The cells need normal blood circulation to regenerate. This applies to all the tissue of the body; when circulation is compromised for any reason the tissue degenerates because regeneration of cells requires the nutrients and oxygen carried in the blood. Blood circulation being less efficient, the blood does not get deep into the tissue, not allowing for normal regeneration of cells so the whole body degenerates.
AMD is a chronic eye disease that causes a deterioration of the light-sensitive cells in the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, causing blurred vision and eventually a blind spot in the central visual field. The cause of macular degeneration is basically a blockage of the normal blood flow to the tissue in the back of the eye. The treatment for macular degeneration with MicroAcupuncture is a very effective therapy. It can help a person gain vision, and at the very least maintain their vision.
Often when patients are losing vision very quickly we work to keep the vision the person has. When patients are stable, we can in most cases see an increase in the vision. AMD treatments can help patients' vision become more stable. Each patient will respond differently, and there is no way to determine where the benefit will occur, or how much improvement there will be.
Too often patients stop coming to the clinic for treatments because their macular degeneration turned from “dry” to “wet.” They believe that the treatments can no longer help them since they now have “wet” macular degeneration. Their condition can be helped by getting shots of Avastin or Lucentis. While these treatments may be necessary to stop the leaking, they will not help the underlying macular degeneration. The drugs only help the growth of unwanted blood vessels and leaking. The cells of the retina continue to degenerate because they still have macular degeneration.
Pathologically, AMD results from retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) dysfunction or loss associated with the degeneration of photoreceptor cells. The RPE is a single layer of closely packed, brown colored cells forming part of the blood retina barrier. It is particularly susceptible to oxidative stress because of the layer’s high consumption of oxygen. When the blood retina barrier breaks down blood vessels can grow through the retina. This is referred to as neovascularization, or growth of new blood vessels. It is commonly referred to as wet macular degeneration.
The macula’s light-sensitive cells provide the ability to experience sharp, detailed vision, patients will experience blurring of central vision and possible total loss of central vision. This can have a devastating impact on the ability to enjoy activities of daily life, such as reading, driving, or even recognizing the face of a friend or family member. The central vision is crucial for our ability to live a normal life. Help us restore and heal your vision. Contact Arkansas Acupucture in Bentonville, AR for more information or to schedule your Macular Degeneration treatments today.
Stages of Macular Degeneration
There are three stages of AMD defined in part by the size and number of drusen under the retina. It is possible to have AMD in one eye only, or to have one eye with a later stage of AMD than the other.
Not everyone with early AMD will develop late AMD. For people who have early AMD in one eye and no signs of AMD in the other eye, about five percent will develop advanced AMD after 10 years. For people who have early AMD in both eyes, about 14 percent will develop late AMD in at least one eye after 10 years.
The distinction between “wet” and “dry” macular degeneration is important, especially when discussing treatment with your patients. People who are being treated for AMD by acupuncture will often stop treatment when their “dry” AMD “turns” to wet, thinking that they can no longer be helped. They believe that they no longer have dry macular degeneration, and now only have wet AMD. Basically, the underlying condition remains the same, with the addition of the complication of neovascularization – growth of new blood vessels. Dry AMD “progresses” to wet. They still have dry AMD.
The tissue will often continue to degenerate even if patients are receiving injections to stave off the growth of blood vessels. If you can explain to them that they may still continue to lose vision from the “dry” type, even though they are receiving treatment for the “wet” type, it could save their vision.
Although approximately 80 percent of patients with age-related macular degeneration have dry AMD, wet AMD is responsible for 80 to 90 percent of severe loss of vision or legal blindness associated with this disease.
How We Define Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration is the deterioration of the retina due to the lack of regeneration. Plaque and fatty deposits (amyloid beta anddrusen) prohibit the proper movement of blood into the tissue necessary to allow for normal regeneration of cells. Dead cell waste and fatty deposits build up, inhibiting the growth of new cells, and diminishing the health of the RPE, which can potentially allow for the growth of blood vessels through the retina.
Our body is continually regenerating cells. The health and survival of all the tissue of the body depends on it. In a healthy body circulating blood carries oxygen and nutrients to cells and removes waste products making room for the regeneration of new cells. When circulation is compromised plaques and fatty deposits further inhibiting circulation. Aging is the process by which diminished circulation and free radical damage cause destruction of tissue; the cells of the body degenerate. Basics.
Spleen Qi Vacuity – integrity of the tissue
Phlegm
– build up of plaque and drusen
Kidney and Liver Yin – eyes not being nourished, congenital stuff
In most cases, Age-related Macular Degeneration patients will display vision loss concentrated in the central portion of the retina. However, it is not unusual for a patient to have retinal degeneration that, although diagnosed as AMD, does not display the usual pattern of vision loss; the disease is not necessarily affecting the macula. It is a more general deterioration, but is serious and warrants treatment. For patients, this is a better scenario, as they will be slower to lose their central vision.
Most patients are eager for someone to explain what is going on with their vision. If you can explain it in a way they understand, they will greatly appreciate it. We work with our patients to help them understand their Age-related Macular Degeneration and the options they have for treatment.
For more information about acupuncture treatment for macular degeneration contact Arkansas Acupuncture Center in Bentonville, AR today!
