Acupuncture Treatment for Elevated Intraocular Pressure: A Pilot Study

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world, resulting from progressive axonal destruction of the optic nerve. Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form, and it is usually painless with insidious onset. Conventional treatment is focused on lowering intraocular pressure (IOP), the one risk factor that can be modified, which has been demonstrated to protect against further damage to the optic-nerve head. Acupuncture is an ancient treatment which has been found to be beneficial for many ailments, and may reduce IOP. We propose a pilot study to evaluate whether acupuncture is an effective and safe modality for reducing elevated IOP in patients with open angle glaucoma and primary ocular hypertension. Patients with elevated IOP on tonometric measurement (20mmHg < IOP < 30mmHg) will be treated twice-weekly with a standardized (as opposed to individualized) acupuncture treatment. Treatment will last for four-weeks (for a total of 8 treatments), and patients will be evaluated for IOP diurnal curves at 2 weeks (4 treatment), 4 weeks (end of treatment ) and then 4 weeks following the last treatment.