Cataracts

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this is seen as a manifestation of the weakness of the liver and the kidney due to lack of nourishment of the eye from blood. The liver and the kidney are two essential organs involved in the production of blood. The liver is said to open out to the eyes, so therefore lack of blood affecting the liver, which is closely related to the kidney means the manifestation of an eye disease like cataracts is a possibility.

Treatment of this condition is dependant on how quickly the client seeks out help. If seen early enough herbs can be prescribed which will slow down the growth of the cataract, and may even help to prevent it growing further, so that the sight will remain not perfect necessarily, but at least comfortable. When the disease is in an advanced state the preferable mode of treatment would be to seek medical intervention through surgery to affect a complete recovery. Herbs can then be used to help nourish the liver and the eye to aid the healing and the re-occurrence of this condition. The treatment is designed to tonify the essence of the kidneys and the blood of the liver. Nourishment will be effective through using herbs such as rheumania, wolfberry fruit. Chrysanthemum flowers are good examples of the herbs that could be used.

Acupuncture will be designed to do the same treatment principle, using points from the liver and kidney channels in particular. However as there are no liver or kidney points on the head the paired organs of the liver and kidney being the gall bladder and the urinary bladder respectively, will be used as both these channels have points in circling of the eyes, therefore helping to direct the systemic treatment to target the eyes.

Philip Hochhauser BAcC, RCHM

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