Diabetic Retinopathy and the Role of Chinese Medicine
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of vision loss among adults with diabetes. It develops when prolonged high blood sugar damages the small blood vessels that supply the retina — the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Over time, these vessels can leak, swell, or grow in abnormal patterns, gradually impairing the clarity and range of vision. For many patients, the condition progresses silently, with noticeable changes in sight arriving only after significant retinal damage has already occurred.
At Makari Wellness, we work alongside patients who are managing diabetic retinopathy in partnership with their ophthalmologists and endocrinologists. While acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are not replacements for conventional diabetes care or retinal monitoring, they offer a meaningful complementary path — one focused on improving systemic circulation, supporting the body’s reparative processes, and addressing the underlying constitutional patterns that Chinese medicine associates with diabetes-related eye disease.
How Chinese Medicine Understands Diabetic Retinopathy
Classical Chinese medicine does not use the term “diabetic retinopathy,” but it has recognized and described the cluster of symptoms it produces for centuries. The eye condition associated with long-standing diabetes falls within a framework that TCM practitioners call xiao ke — a wasting-thirst syndrome that closely parallels the Western concept of diabetes. When xiao ke goes unresolved over time, it is understood to exhaust the body’s fundamental fluids and vital substances, eventually leaving the sensory organs undernourished.
In TCM ophthalmology, the retina and deeper structures of the eye are governed by the Kidney and Liver organ systems, which are responsible for nourishing the vessels and tissues of the visual pathway. Chronic fluid depletion — a hallmark of long-standing diabetes — can dry and weaken these systems, creating the conditions for stagnation, poor microcirculation, and fragile vessel walls. The clinical patterns most commonly identified in diabetic retinopathy include:
- Liver-Kidney yin deficiency — depletion of the fundamental moistening and cooling substances, leading to dryness, heat signs, and impaired vessel integrity
- Qi and yin deficiency — fatigue combined with fluid loss, leaving the body unable to push blood efficiently through fine vessels
- Kidney yang deficiency — in longer-standing or more advanced cases, the warming and activating functions of the Kidney decline, compounding circulatory stagnation
- Blood stasis — a consequence of chronic poor circulation, in which blood moves sluggishly, accumulates in small vessels, and leaks into surrounding tissue
Each of these patterns calls for a different therapeutic approach, and a skilled Chinese medicine practitioner will assess which combination is most active before deciding on a treatment strategy. The classical ophthalmology textbook tradition, as represented in major texts like Ophthalmology in Chinese Medicine (Wei Qi-ping, Andy Rosenfarb, Liang Li-na), organizes diabetic retinopathy treatment precisely along these pattern lines — matching specific herbal formulas and acupuncture strategies to each presentation rather than offering a single universal protocol.
Herbal Medicine: Classical Formulas for Retinal Support
Chinese herbal medicine plays a central role in TCM’s approach to diabetic retinopathy. The classical literature identifies several key formulas that have been used for generations to support eye health in the context of diabetes-related patterns:
- Yu Quan Wan — a foundational formula for xiao ke, designed to nourish fluids, clear heat, and support the Kidney and Lung systems that govern fluid metabolism
- Yu Nü Jian combined with Sheng Mai San — used when both yin depletion and qi deficiency are prominent; clears stomach heat, nourishes yin, and restores the pulse of vital qi
- Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan — indicated in cases where Kidney yang deficiency dominates, warming and activating the body’s metabolic and circulatory functions
- Huo Xue San Jie Tang — a blood-moving formula used when stasis and accumulation are the primary concern, particularly in cases where hemorrhage or leakage into the retina has occurred
These formulas are never applied mechanically. Your practitioner will evaluate your full symptom picture — including fatigue levels, thirst, urinary patterns, tongue appearance, and pulse quality — before arriving at a prescription that fits your specific pattern. Formulas are frequently modified with individual herbs to address your particular presentation, and they are reviewed and adjusted as your condition evolves.
Acupuncture for Diabetic Eye Disease
Acupuncture serves as a complementary pillar alongside herbal medicine in TCM’s approach to retinal conditions. Research and classical clinical practice both point to acupuncture’s capacity to influence local and systemic microcirculation — a mechanism directly relevant to a disease process rooted in vascular dysfunction.
In the classical five-wheel model of TCM ophthalmology, the retina is associated with the “water wheel,” which corresponds to the Kidney. Acupuncture points that nourish Kidney essence, regulate the Liver, and move blood through the eye’s vascular channels are most commonly selected. Locally, fine needles may be placed around the orbit at well-established points known to increase blood flow to the optic tissues. Distally, points along the Liver, Kidney, Spleen, and Stomach meridians support the systemic constitutional patterns underlying the disease.
Treatment is gentle and precise. Patients routinely report that acupuncture sessions feel deeply relaxing, and many notice secondary improvements in sleep quality, energy, and overall sense of wellbeing alongside any changes in their eye-related symptoms.
What to Expect at Makari Wellness
At our Oceanside clinic, each new patient begins with a comprehensive intake that looks at the full picture — not just the eye diagnosis, but the patterns of health and imbalance across the whole person. We want to understand how your diabetes is currently managed, what other symptoms you carry, and what your vision goals are. This context shapes everything about how we approach your care.
Treatment for a retinal condition like diabetic retinopathy is a gradual process. We typically recommend weekly or twice-weekly acupuncture sessions in the initial phase, combined with a customized herbal formula taken daily at home. Most patients commit to a minimum of eight to twelve weeks before expecting to assess meaningful changes, though many notice improvements in secondary symptoms — fatigue, sleep, general circulation — within the first few visits.
We communicate openly with your existing care team and do not ask patients to reduce or alter their conventional medical treatments. Our role is to complement what your ophthalmologist and primary care provider are already doing — not to compete with it. We are particularly attentive to the importance of continued retinal monitoring through standard Western exams, and we strongly encourage all patients to maintain their scheduled eye appointments.
It is important to approach this care with realistic expectations. Chinese medicine cannot reverse established retinal scarring or guarantee stabilization of disease progression. What it can offer is meaningful support for the underlying constitutional patterns that contribute to vascular fragility, poor microcirculation, and fluid imbalance — the same root terrain that Chinese medicine has addressed in the context of wasting-thirst disorders for more than a thousand years.
Taking the Next Step
If you are living with diabetic retinopathy and looking for integrative support alongside your conventional care, we invite you to Schedule Your Initial Visit at Makari Wellness. Our practitioners are experienced in TCM ophthalmology and are here to help you explore what Chinese medicine may offer as part of your long-term vision health strategy. We see patients at our Oceanside location and welcome referrals from throughout the greater San Diego area.