Stargardt’s Disease, also known as juvenile macular dystrophy is the most common form or inherited juvenile macular degeneration.

Much like AMD, symptoms of vision loss from Stargardt’s disease can include blurry or distorted vision, inability to see in low lighting and difficulty recognizing familiar faces and reading. Vision loss from Stargardt’s generally begins to show up within the first 20 years of life, more often in early childhood. But it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when retinal damage will occur or how fast it will progress, because variations can occur even among family members with similar inherited tendencies.

Stargardt’s is an inherited disease passed along to children when both parents carry mutations of the gene ABCA4 associated with vitamin A processing in the eye. Parents can carry recessive genetic traits responsible for Stargardt’s, even though they themselves may not have the disease.

Stargardt’s disease is diagnosed by the presence of small, yellowish spots of deteriorating tissue (drusen) sloughed off from the outer covering of the retina (retinal pigment epithelium).

How Can Acupuncture Help?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) always searches for the systemic root causes of any disorder. The eyes do not exist in isolation but are intricately connected to the rest of the body. Therefore, the eyes are an outward expression of other related imbalances throughout the body.

Acupuncture has been shown to benefit Stargardt's patients by increasing blood perfusion to the eye and specifically to the retina (1). When blood is healthy and rich in nutrients, it will deliver the necessary molecules to generate healthy cells and tissue. 

In my clinic, we provide various acupuncture services for Stargardt's patients, including, but not limited to Micro Acupuncture, Acunova acupuncture, Traditional Acupuncture, electrical stimulation, and advise on Infra Red, nutrients, and exercises.

A case series on local acupuncture for Stargardt’s disease found that all three siblings in the study had documented improvements in visual acuity and contrast. After three days of twice a day, visual acuity improved 28%, contrast sensitivity 7% and campimetric visual fields improved 68%. Longer follow-ups and larger trials are needed, but acupuncture for vision loss shows promise. (2)

(1)The Changes in Blood Flow Seen in the Eye after Foot Acupuncture Treatment in Mice

(2) Short review of Microcurrent Stimulation in the Treatment of Ocular Disease and a Case Presentation of 3 Stargardt’s Degeneration Siblings Treated with Transpalpebral Microcurrent Stimulation