Age-Related Macular Degeneration

How Chinese medicine differentiates age-related macular degeneration, the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs, and only as supportive care alongside ophthalmology monitoring.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Macular degeneration needs regular ophthalmology monitoring; acupuncture here is supportive care aimed at slowing progression and preserving remaining vision, not a substitute for that monitoring. Sudden or rapid vision change needs urgent evaluation.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for macular degeneration — 10 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
KI-3	Tonifies the Kidneys (Yin and Yang), benefits Essence.
BL-18	Nourishes and invigorates Liver-Blood.
BL-1	Expels Wind, clears Heat, brightens the eyes.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-9	Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood and Yin.
BL-17	Invigorates Blood, tonifies Qi and Blood.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
ST-40	Resolves Phlegm and Dampness, subdues rebellious Qi.
Ren-12	Tonifies Stomach and Spleen, resolves Dampness and Phlegm.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach, resolves Dampness.
G.B.-20	Expels exterior Wind, extinguishes interior Wind, subdues Liver-Yang.

The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Gradual, painless blurring of central vision; dry eyes; poor night vision; tinnitus; lower back soreness; heat in the palms and soles; forgetfulness.

Tongue: Red with cracks, little coating. Pulse: Fine, rapid.

Treatment principle: Nourish Liver and Kidney Yin, brighten the eyes, clear deficiency Heat.

KI-3 ↑ BL-18 ↑ BL-1 ⊥

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

2. Spleen Deficiency with Dampness

Clinical manifestations: Foggy, blurred central vision like a veil; worse after greasy meals; bloating; loose stools; fatigue; heaviness.

Tongue: Pale, swollen with teeth marks, white greasy coating. Pulse: Soggy, slowed.

Treatment principle: Strengthen the Spleen, drain Dampness, transform turbidity.

ST-36 ↑ SP-9 ↓ SP-6 ↑ BL-1 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36/SP-6. This pattern has no explicit Cold marker, so it is not linked to this site's \"Cold-Dampness invading the Spleen\" slide — no pattern link is given here.

3. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing eye pain; dark purple spots; a history of retinal hemorrhage; dark circles under the eyes; worse with eye strain.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots. Pulse: Choppy or wiry.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, remove stasis, nourish Blood.

BL-17 ↓ LR-3 ↓ BL-1 ⊥ ST-36 ⊥

Note: no moxa. Matches Liver-Blood stasis — dark purple spots and dark circles under the eyes are the same discoloration markers named there.

4. Phlegm

Clinical manifestations: Vision feels cloudy or as if looking through a veil; a heavy head and eyes; chest stuffiness; nausea.

Tongue: Swollen pale body with thick white greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery.

Treatment principle: Dry Dampness, transform Phlegm, regulate Qi.

ST-40 ↓ Ren-12 ↓ BL-20 ↑ BL-1 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on BL-20. No deck on this site has a generic Phlegm category without an accompanying organ or Fire component, so no pattern link is given here.

5. Liver Yang Rising View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden onset of dark spots or distorted vision; throbbing headaches; irritability; dizziness; ringing ears; a flushed face.

Tongue: Red with thin yellow coat. Pulse: Wiry, rapid.

Treatment principle: Calm the Liver, subdue Yang, clear Heat, anchor Yin.

LR-3 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓

Note: no moxa. Matches Liver-Yang rising — headache, irritability, dizziness and tinnitus are shared.

Related conditions

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