Glaucoma

How Chinese medicine differentiates glaucoma, the three patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs, and only as supportive care alongside ophthalmology management.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss — any sudden severe eye pain with blurred vision, halos around lights, or nausea is a medical emergency needing immediate care. Acupuncture here is supportive care alongside required ophthalmology management, never a replacement for it.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for glaucoma — 7 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
G.B.-20	Expels exterior Wind, clears Heat, brightens the eyes.
BL-1	Expels Wind, clears Heat, brightens the eyes.
BL-18	Nourishes and invigorates Liver-Blood, brightens the eyes.
BL-23	Tonifies the Kidneys and nourishes Kidney-Essence, brightens the eyes.
KI-3	Tonifies the Kidneys (Yin and Yang), benefits Essence.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen, nourishes Blood and Yin.

The Three Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Liver Fire Blazing View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden, intense throbbing eye pain; red, swollen eyes; a bitter taste; intense irritability; constipation with dark urine.

Tongue: Red body with redder sides, dry yellow coating, possible red prickles. Pulse: Wiry, rapid, full and forceful.

Treatment principle: Drain excess Fire from the Liver and Gallbladder, clear Heat from the Liver channel.

LR-3 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓ BL-1 ↓ EX-HN-5 (Taiyang) ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with Liver-Fire blazing — irritability, red eyes, a bitter taste and constipation with dark urine are shared.

2. Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Dry, gritty eyes with a dull ache; blurred vision worsening with fatigue; night sweats; heat in the palms and soles.

Tongue: Red, thin body with cracks, little or no coating. Pulse: Fine, rapid, wiry.

Treatment principle: Nourish Yin and Blood, moisten dryness, calm Liver-Yang.

BL-18 ↑ BL-23 ↑ KI-3 ↑ BL-1 ⊥

Note: no moxa. Direct match with Kidney- and Liver-Yin deficiency.

3. Qi and Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing eye pain; dark, unmoving visual spots; a dark complexion.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots. Pulse: Wiry and choppy, like a knife scraping bamboo.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, restore circulation.

BL-1 ↓ LR-3 ↓ SP-6 ↓

Note: no moxa. Matches Liver-Blood stasis — a dark complexion and a dark purple tongue with stasis spots are the same discoloration markers named there.

Related conditions

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