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• hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-16 10:10:46 By tennessee t
• the accupunture clinic in greenville south carolina has done wonders for me i have rp, i believe the earlier people seek this treatment the better the outlook, at least this has helped me, and i will be going back in 4 months for more treatments, it may sound impossible for this to work but i am proof it does, it may not do the same for everyone, but i believe it will help. my eyesight went from 20/200 in left eye and 20/54 in right eye to 20/78 in left and 20/52 in right in 2 days i see the difference. the phone number to this clinic is 864-232-7275, to me i didnt have anyhing to lose anyway , i ended up gaining from it, they do not claim these treatments to be a cure, but for me and others it has been a successful treatment. good luck to everyone signed blessed

• Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-16 11:19:26 By Darran Z
• This article explains WHY you see improvement. Not necessarily anything to RP. It is important to understand the mechanics of such approach. It doesn't restore or replace any rods or cones that die in the process of degeneration. This will happen. This merely "stimulates" the existing cells. It doesn't improve color vision or visual field, but acuity only.
  
  So before spending too much money or putting too much faith into such treatments, at least understand the mechanics here.
  
  American Journal of Chinese Medicine (Spring/Summer 1980)
  
  The object of this study is to answer the question: Is acupuncture of any use in ophthalmology? Ophthalmology today can boast of 95% accuracy in diagnosis, but modern therapeutics has not caught up with diagnosis. Despite an inability to explain in modern scientific terms the healing power of acupuncture, documentation of over 500 cases treated shows that this modality can be successful in the treatment of eye diseases, especially in cases of retinitis pigmentosa, high myopia, cataracts, surgical aphakia, controlled glaucoma and re-attached ablation retinae. We notice in these cases that improvement occurs in the central acuity, and no improvement in the visual field, colorvision and nightblindness. Apparently acupuncture acts on the macula alone and not on the entire retina. Acupuncture is not intended to substitute for established medication or surgery in ophthalmology. It cannot restore a tissue or organ damaged beyond regeneration; "incurable" eye diseases per se are not cured by acupuncture. Only symptoms are relieved and dimness of vision is a symptom which can be alleviated in many cases with periodic treatment.
  
  

• Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-16 14:13:11 By Darran Z
• Tennesee,
  
  If you are going to go regularly, keep your recipts. You'll be able to deduct them as medical expenses on your taxes next year.
  
  See IRS Publication 502 Medical Expenses
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-18 22:53:37 By Patrick C
• It may not be a cure, or improve all fields, but I think if it helps people see better, then it's worth it.
  
  To the OP, how much is this costing you, if you don't mind me asking?

• Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-19 01:39:15 By Darran Z
• The problem Patrick, is not whether it helps, but the fact that so many people perport this to be an "RP cure" so to speak. The effect on the macula alone shoes that it doesn't do much. The real question is whether someone with adanced RP or CRD where the cones are screwed over from the RP that it has no effect. People forget that once cones are affected they lose that part of vision as well. this only works on HEALTHY vision (i.e. a different method of treating myopia). So is it really treating anything? Not really. Just another means of finding a way to correct your vision 9whether you have a retinal disease or non-retinal disease).
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-24 10:10:37 By tennessee t
• hi, i realized this wasnt a cure for rp before i went for it, i saw improvement in just 2 days and continue to its been almost 3 weeks now, i also noticed that the tunnel visin in my left eye on left eye side slightly improved also, because i could actually see my sisters leggs in the drivers seat as she drove me back, i had not been able to see anything on that side for many months, to see things clearly again even if its for just awhile if it happens that way has still been worth every cent. for 5 days of treatment 3x a day 1,000 is not to much, considering 1 mri costs almost that much for just 1. i plan on returning every 6 months. the woman i met there has been blind for years, she began treatments at the end of feb. and is now beginning to see things she hasnt saw for a long time. thats a blessing, so no matter if its not a cure and i understand its not its certainly a big improvement. also i wanted to note, i have began taking omega-3 because some studies have shown it can slow down the progression of rp, also helps the heart and brain, i need help with it all. i found this info. at scientific research at the univerity. i believe we need to be positive and to help ourselves as much as we can.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-24 10:41:58 By Darran Z
• Tennessee,
  
  I would caution you regarding objective improvements vs subjective improvements. This is also one of the issues surrounding accupuncture is that many people have subjective improvments as you describe.
  
  I would also say a word of caution on the studies regarding supplementation. This is a big contreversial issue, even among FFB researchers. Omega-3 fatty acids does not slow down progression at all. In fact, the only study regarding this is X-linked RP where the males have lower DHA levels than normal. They are exploring whether that is a contributing factor.
  
  I'll admit some researchers are looking into lifestyle and nutrition as a viable cause of progression and see if that is a factor. At least they are looking into it. But those who have genetic backgrounds will tell you something different than those who do not have genetic backgrouns. Genetics play a much bigger role than you think. So just a word of caution to ensure you understand these studies. Many of them are skewed.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-25 08:05:53 By tennessee t
• darren, i plan to remain possitive even while knowing the odds, i only know that it helped me, even if its only for awhile its still worth it, maybe these treatments will continue to work until they do find a cure. its easier to maintain sight while some sight is still there than to try to restore whats already lost, thats the hope im holding onto. also omega-3 is for the heart, brain and eyes, so even it it doesnt work for the eyes, i would still take it for the other benifits. thanks for your opinion .

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-25 08:05:58 By tennessee t
• darren, i plan to remain possitive even while knowing the odds, i only know that it helped me, even if its only for awhile its still worth it, maybe these treatments will continue to work until they do find a cure. its easier to maintain sight while some sight is still there than to try to restore whats already lost, thats the hope im holding onto. also omega-3 is for the heart, brain and eyes, so even it it doesnt work for the eyes, i would still take it for the other benifits. thanks for your opinion .

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-25 11:02:07 By Darran Z
• I'm going to play the Devil's Advocate here a little...
  
  How do you know you actually see better? Have you been to the doctor and taking objective tests? Are you not just being more keenly aware of what you can see? Or is it the complexities of the vision system making your perception appear that you are improving? The visual system is quite complex and the brain tries to "fill in the gap" of the blindspots we don't see. This is often troubling for many people with RP partiularly when it comes to determining what they think they can see and what they actually see. Until you have taken an objective test, you can't really claim you are improving, can you? This is why many studies show that alternative treatment is subjective improvments (improvements not measurable but individuals feel they are improving).
  
  I'm all for being positive, but I'm being a realist and trying to do away with a false sense of security that often prevails with alternate treatments.
  
  Did you ever wonder why there isn't any cohesive or long-term study on this? This was a big discussion on another RP board I'm on. A researcher from John Hopkins stated that the reason for this is, that the alternative medicines are fearful of being proven wrong and they would lose a nice form of income.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-25 13:57:27 By tennessee t
• I will tell you how i know, besides me just knowing i do. when i first arrived at the clinic the first thing that was done was an eye scan then a test with the eye chart. the scan showed how much light i could see by clicking the button myself everytime i saw a light, after completed i was shown the scan it showed how much tunnel vision i have and the places i missed seeing the lights. the eye test showed in my worst eye it was 20/200 in my best eye 20/54 ok now i began the treatments, after these test, at the end of the second day, me and my sister was talking in the motel room where we stayed, she was sitting across the room from me, i told her i could see her eyes and features clear, but i hadnt been able to before even at home before i went, i also told her about how for a few seconds everything would become so clear as if i had just put on eye glasses then things would get a little blurry for a few seconds, i wasnt sure at this time if i wasnt just imagineing this improvement i saw, it did sound to good to be true that acupuncture could even work, but i thought i would wait a week after the treatments and just see how it went,in other words i didnt fully believe it would work, the next day my sister drove me over to the clinic for my first 9 am treatment for that day, on the way i told her i could actually see her leggs while she was driving just by looking straight forward, i knew i hadnt been able to do that for over six months or longer, my eyes were very watery that morning, i knew that another scan and eye test was to be done first thing that morning, i hadnt mentioned anything to anyone about how i was seeing, as soon as we arrived i was taken back for the eye scan, because my eyes were so watery i was nervous and just figured i would certainly fail the test, after the scan, i did the eye chart test i mentioned to craig the acupuncturist that i probably failed all test because of watery eyes.
  at first he just smiled after the reading test because the eye scan results were'nt ready yet, after sitting in the room waiting the first acupuncture treatment for the day, i heard him on the phone talking to the eye doctor, he told him to get there right away because he had some intresting scans to show him, there was another patient besides me so i had no ideal of which one of us he was talking about. then a few minutes later he came in with some papers in his hand to show me, the scan revealed that i really was seeing better in my worst tunnel vision eye, he compared the reading charts to the ones when i first arrived and i read 5 lines more than i had the first day.to 20/78 in my worst eye and 20/52 in the best eye i was very pleased, i know its not a cure but it really improved for me, my sister had told him then something i never even realized that the night before i was reading a newspaper without my glasses on. he said so far i had the best improvement of everyone in a short time, it could be because im not on any medications, and im a vegetarian,who really knows why? another woman has been blind for years and nows seeing things. i hope you will now understand that the improvement isnt in my head, but my eyes.

• Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-24 10:21:53 By tennessee t
• patrick, some believe this treatment costs to much, but doctors visits and test like mri's cost much more, 1 eye scan and visiual field test is $70.00 this is to see how much you can see, each treatment is $60.00 each, you can have 1 or 14 like i did, after 6 treatments i saw a major improvement in my sight even before they did another eye scan and test to prove it. so this is not any more expensive than anything else and the improvement is almost certain, it was for me and others like me.no its not a cure just an improvement but believe me it has been worth it all.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-24 10:37:26 By Patrick C
• I have to agree that it would be worth it. As I said before, I think if it improves your vision, than it is worth it, even if it's not a "cure". The price is a little steep, but to me, it's only steep because I'm poor, and I can't afford to get it done. If I could afford it, I would definitely think about it. If anything, it could hold you over until an actual cure does come along. It's awesome that your vision has improved so much. You must be so excited.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: hope is available
• Posted: 2008-04-25 08:17:30 By tennessee t
• patrick, for me to do these treatments i have to save up for it months in advanced,i do wish there was a funding available for people wanting to have it done but cant afford it. i believe these clinics are trying to get the word out in a possitive way hoping that insurance companys will see the benefits.