Micro‑Acupuncture & AcuNova Vision Program

Specialized acupuncture and microcurrent care for degenerative vision loss, including AMD, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa—designed for patients told their sight is unlikely to improve and who want a structured, supportive option alongside their eye‑care team.

For people told “there’s nothing more we can do”

Many of the people who find this program have already heard some version of:

Your condition is degenerative, there’s no way to improve it,” or “we’ll just monitor it and hope it doesn’t get worse.”

The Micro‑Acupuncture & AcuNova Vision Program is designed specifically for these patients: people living with degenerative eye disease who are under regular care with an ophthalmologist or retina specialist, but have been told that their vision is unlikely to improve and that standard medical options are limited.

This program is not a cure, and it does not replace the care you receive from your eye‑care team. It is a specialized acupuncture‑based option to try, often with encouraging effects for some patients, when conventional tools have been exhausted or are focused only on slowing decline.

Conditions this program is designed for

This treatment is intended for diagnosed degenerative conditions such as:

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – wet and dry

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Glaucoma

• Retinitis pigmentosa

• Other conditions affecting the macula, retina, or progressive visual loss

Everyone in this program is already working with an ophthalmologist or retina specialist. I ask that you have recent retinal scans and eye exams before starting, and that you continue those exams so we have objective information to compare over time.

What Micro‑Acupuncture and AcuNova are

Micro‑Acupuncture, developed in the 1980s, is a system of acupuncture that uses very small, thin needles placed at specific points on the hands and feet, not in the eyes, that has been reported to influence vision in people with degenerative eye conditions.

AcuNova is another acupuncture system that uses different points from the microacupuncture points that are also located at joints of the fingers and toes to stimulate the nervous system and circulation in ways that appear to affect retinal function.

Program structure: 10 treatment days in close succession

Because retinal tissue responds best to frequent, repeated stimulation, this is not a “once in a while” treatment. It is an intensive program:

Initial series

• 10 treatment days in close succession

• Two back‑to‑back 30‑minute sessions per treatment day, for a total of 20 treatments in the initial course. Expect to spend 1.5 hours total per treatment day, which allows for a short break in-between the sessions.

Some patients choose to add an additional 5 treatment days (10 more sessions) if they are continuing to notice meaningful changes and we both feel it is appropriate to continue, or until progress levels off.

Maintenance

After the initial series, we usually move into a maintenance phase such as:

• Treatments every two weeks for approximately two months, then

• Monthly maintenance days (again with two back‑to‑back sessions) depending on how your vision and scans are doing

Some patients choose to repeat an intensive series about a year later or when their ophthalmologist notes a change and we agree that another focused round could be helpful.

Microcurrent stimulation for retinal support

In addition to Micro‑Acupuncture or AcuNova, I use gentle microcurrent stimulation around the eyes as part of this program. This is a very low‑level electrical current applied through the skin over the eyelids, using pre-set settings informed by published research.

Studies of microcurrent and related electrical stimulation have found that:

• In some degenerative conditions, repeated stimulation has been associated with improvements or preservation of measures like visual acuity, visual fields, and electroretinogram signals, suggesting a possible supportive effect on retinal cells.

• Early clinical work in dry and wet AMD shows that some patients experienced better visual acuity and increased retinal sensitivity after microcurrent-based therapies, with few serious side effects reported in those studies.

• Laboratory and clinical data suggest microcurrent may enhance cellular energy production (ATP) and membrane transport, which is particularly relevant in high‑demand tissues like the retina.

This research is still developing, and microcurrent is not a cure. In this program it is used as one part of a comprehensive approach aimed at supporting retinal health and helping you make the most of the vision you still have, while you continue regular exams and imaging with your eye‑care team.

What this program can—and cannot—offer

This program is intended to:

• Give you a structured, time‑limited option to try when you have been told that standard treatments can only monitor or slow your condition

• Support blood flow and signaling to the retina and surrounding tissues

• Potentially help preserve or improve aspects of vision for some patients

• Enhance comfort, ease of seeing, and quality of life

It cannot:

• Guarantee specific results or promise restoration of lost vision

• Replace injections, medications, laser, or surgeries recommended by your ophthalmologist or retina specialist

• Substitute for regular eye exams and imaging

For that reason, I require that everyone in this program remains under the care of an eye‑care professional and obtains before‑and‑after retinal scans and eye exams so we have objective information to compare alongside your own experience.

Who this program is for?

This program may be appropriate if:

You have a confirmed diagnosis of AMD (wet or dry), diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, or another degenerative eye condition

• You are being followed by an ophthalmologist or retina specialist

• You have been told that your vision is unlikely to improve or that you have “no more treatment options” beyond monitoring or maintenance injections

• You are medically able to complete 10 treatment days in close succession with two sessions per day

• You are open to an intensive acupuncture‑based treatment that supports and possibly improves function, understanding that results vary from person to person

A consultation is always the first step so we can review your diagnosis, imaging, current treatment plan, and whether this program is appropriate for you.

Why work with me for this kind of vision care

I completed specialized training in Micro‑Acupuncture and AcuNova with Mats Sexton, L.Ac., who has focused much of his practice on degenerative eye disease. Based on publicly available information, I am currently one of relatively few acupuncturists in California (and in the United States) offering a structured Micro‑Acupuncture/AcuNova program specifically for degenerative vision loss.

Whole‑person support matters, too

Alongside this eye‑specific work, my background in orthopedic acupuncture, internal medicine, and both classical Jing Fang and modern TCM herbal medicine allows me to consider your vision in the context of your whole health.

While this program is centered on Micro‑Acupuncture, AcuNova, and microcurrent stimulation for degenerative eye disease, I may also incorporate broader acupuncture or Chinese medicine herbal strategies based on your overall health picture. For some patients, circulation or digestion issues, blood sugar regulation, nervous system stress, inflammation, or recovery capacity are part of the larger story, and supporting these areas may more effectively enhance the vision work that we do.

This does not replace ophthalmology care. It means we are paying attention to the whole person, not only the eyes.

My goal is to give you a clear, honest option to try when you have been told that improvement is unlikely, and with a structure that respects both the limits and the possibilities of this kind of care.