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Optic Neuritis

How Chinese medicine differentiates optic neuritis — sudden vision loss with a normal-looking eye — into the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Sudden vision loss always needs urgent medical/ophthalmological evaluation (optic neuritis can be linked to autoimmune or demyelinating disease) before assuming a simple pattern; acupuncture here supports the underlying pattern, not a substitute for that workup.
General Acupuncture Points

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

PointKey action
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang. Invigorates Blood and regulates menstruation.
SP-10Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
ST-36Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Stomach and Spleen.
LR-2Drains Liver-Fire and subdues Liver-Yang. Cools Blood and stops bleeding.
G.B.-20Expels exterior Wind. Extinguishes interior Wind. Subdues Liver-Yang. Clears Heat.
L.I.-4Expels exterior Wind. Stops pain. Removes obstructions from the channel.
ST-40Resolves Phlegm and Dampness. Calms the Mind and opens the Mind's orifices.
ST-44Clears Heat. Regulates the Intestines and resolves Damp-Heat. Calms the Mind.
BL-1Expels Wind. Clears Heat. Brightens the eyes.
KI-3Tonifies the Kidneys (both Yin and Yang). Strengthens the lower back and knees.
The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Qi and Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden vision loss after emotional shock or trauma, stabbing fixed eye pain worsening with pressure, irritability and mood swings, chest oppression.
Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots. Pulse: Wiry and choppy.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, unblock the eye collaterals.
LR-3 ↓ SP-10 ↓ ST-36 ⊥
Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide.

2. Liver Qi Stagnation That Transforms Into Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden painless vision loss, irritability and explosive anger, bitter taste, red face and eyes, headache at the temples, distending rib pain.
Tongue: Red body, redder on the sides, yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry and rapid.
Treatment principle: Soothe Liver Qi, clear stagnant Heat, calm the mind.
LR-3 ↓ LR-2 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓ L.I.-4 ⊥
Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Stagnant-Liver-Qi-turning-into-Heat slide.

3. Phlegm-Heat

Clinical manifestations: Sudden painless vision loss, heavy foggy head sensation, nausea or phlegm stuck in the throat, oppressive chest fullness.
Tongue: Red, swollen body with thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat and transform Phlegm, opening the orifices to restore vision.
ST-40 ↓ ST-44 ↓ BL-1 ↓
Note: no moxa. This site has no eye-specific or organ-nonspecific Phlegm-Heat slide distinct from the Heart/Pericardium Phlegm-Fire slides, which are Shen-disturbance-framed rather than vision-framed — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

4. Empty-Heat Caused by Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden or rapid vision decline, often in one eye, night sweats and heat in the palms/soles/chest, dry mouth and throat especially at night, flushed cheekbones, dry gritty eye sensation.
Tongue: Red, thin, dry with little or no coating. Pulse: Fine and rapid.
Treatment principle: Nourish Yin and subdue empty Heat, clearing the fire that disturbs the eyes.
KI-3 ↑ BL-1 ↑
Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Kidney-Yin-deficiency-Empty-Heat-blazing slide.

5. Toxic-Heat

Clinical manifestations: High fever, throbbing eye pain, red swollen eyes, sore throat or mouth ulcers, intense thirst for cold drinks, constipation, dark scanty urine.
Tongue: Red body with prickly thorns, dry yellow coating. Pulse: Rapid and forceful, often full or overflowing.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat and resolve toxin, draining fire from all three burners.
L.I.-4 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓
Note: no moxa. This site has no standalone Toxic-Heat slide on any deck, a gap confirmed absent many times over — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.
Related conditions
Optic Nerve Atrophy Glaucoma Blurry Vision

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Acupuncture-only reference — structure adapted (not text) from how other condition-lookup sites organize this kind of content. Let us know what to add or change.