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Treatment
for Macular Degeneration
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Treatment
for Macular Degeneration
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Treating
Patients
What is microcurrent stimulation? There are a number of devices that produce microcurrent for the treatment of different injuries and illnesses. Milli-amp and Micro-amp devices have been used for about 40 years in Western medicine to treat injuries, including sports injuries. Other uses of the treatment have become popular since the early seventies. The use of microcurrent for the treatment of eye disease is relatively recent. The microcurrent generator that we use at our office involves a very precise, low-current electrical stimulus that can be used to treat specific points on the body. The micro-ampherage is adjustable between 20 microamps to 800 microamps. A microamp is one millionth of an ampere. The advantage clinically of being able to use microamp devices is that this corresponds more closely to the human nervous system than stronger currents used in other devices. This is a case where “less is better.” There are specific points on the body, which have relatively much lower resistance than all other areas of the skin. These points of low electrical resistance correspond to classical acupuncture points. Because of the lowered skin resistance, the microcurrent more easily reaches the retina. The points that are used with microcurrent stimulation are chosen because it has been shown that stimulation of these acupuncture points benefits the eyes. Specific frequencies are automatically treated for specific time periods by the microcurrent device that we use. These frequencies and time sequences have been shown to be the most effective in treating retinal disease. The have been no adverse effects have been reported. Top of Page
Why Doesn't My Ophthalmologist Know About Microcurrent Stimulation? Western physicians have been using the technology of microcurrent stimulation since the 1960's to treat a variety of conditions. Some of the earliest work involved the use of this type of electrical stimulation to promote the healing of bone fractures that were not otherwise healing normally. Microcurrent stimulation is used to promote healing in soft tissue wounds and pressure sores that are slow to heal. It is used extensively in Sports Medicine, it is used by plastic surgeons in certain cases because of its ability to decrease the amount of scar tissue that forms after surgery, it is used with the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, and it is used in the treatment of TMJ syndrome. Many specialists, including ophthalmologists, do not often have the time to read about research or new developments outside their own areas. Doctors that specialize in physical medicine, sports medicine, orthopedics, oral surgery, plastic surgery, and hand surgery are familiar with microcurrent because it is used in their specialties. There has been some unpublished research and clinical studies done on the use of microcurrent stimulation for the eye. It may be a few years before they are published and ophthalmologists would not be familiar with this research. There are published studies on the effect of microcurrent stimulation and how it increases cellular energy potential, but again, this would be outside the usual area of interest of most eye doctors. Top of Page
How Does the Microcurrent Work? Certain microcurrent stimulators can affect electrical properties at the level of the cell membrane resulting in an increase in the energy production, (in the form of increased ATP) of the cell by almost 500%. Enhancement of intracellular ATP concentrations is a known effect of microcurrent stimulation. In our clinic we use a constant current device, which tightly controls the delivery of current over a wide range of resistances, and incorporates some patented technology that allows these very low currents to penetrate very deeply into the tissues that are being treated without harm. It is important to provide a very low current stimulation but to do it in such a way that you are treating more than just the surface of the skin. There are many devices that are marketed, as microcurrent stimulators but those in reality are inadequate for the treatment of retinal disease. It has been demonstrated in scientific research that microcurrent stimulation can enhance blood circulation and increase ATP production. These two things are essential for normal cellular metabolism. One important factor that patients must be aware of is that the treatments must be on a daily basis and the treatments must be continued. The microcurrent stimulators we use at the Acupuncture Center are made by MicroStim® Technologies, Inc. This is the preferred treatment device among centers treating eye disease because of the sophistication of the electrical technology and also because it is user friendly for patients with impaired vision. MicroStim® Technologies, Inc., is the leader in the field of safe and effective microcurrent devices. Top of Page
Home Treatment Unit The treatment device that we use at the Acupuncture Center is a light weight, portable unit. This allows for ease of use at home and convenience when patients are traveling. Frequent treatments on a daily basis (2 to 3 per day) are necessary. The home unit comes with a set of glasses that hold two discs that transfer the microcurrent to the desired points around the eye. Moist cotton pads are used to help transfer the microcurrent to the acupuncture points that are around the eye. The treatment is not painful. Along with the microcurrent treatment device, our patients receive an instruction video that explains how to use the machine. Again, it is important to continue the treatments on a daily basis. Top of Page
What Should I Expect from the Treatment? A good number of our patients improve their eyesight with the use of the microcurrent stimulator. Some of these notice improvement within the first month and for others it takes several months before they notice a change. For some patients there is no improvement, but the majority of these do not continue to get worse. The rate of progress varies. Generally any progress is a slow progressive change. In some cases the improvement can be dramatic. It is significant to note that both the “DRY” and “WET” forms can respond to treatment. We see patients who have had laser surgery to treat the “wet” or exudative form of macular degeneration, and these patients can also improve. Not all patients improve with this treatment, but in general the results are very encouraging, even when progress takes months of treatment. Some patients, who have not shown improvement, often report that their vision has not gotten worse. Patients need to remember that even a little improvement means that the disease is not progressing, and this is a huge accomplishment. Being able to stop the deterioration caused by this disease is a valuable achievement. Expect to have treatments every day. When patients improve with treatment and then stop treatment, they inevitably regress and loose progress until they resume treatment. Dr. Bruno tells patients that this treatment is not some miracle cure or magic. It is based on known scientific, bio-physiological, and bioelectrical principles. But when the proper microcurrent device is used after proper training and daily use, then some patients are able to achieve real improvement in vision. Top of Page
What is treatment like? Patients are trained on the use of the microcurrent machine so that they will be able to use it in their own home. There is no pain involved with the treatments. The specific device we use at the Acupuncture Center is made by a technologies company that has developed a machine that is user friendly for low vision patients and it is automated to make its use simple and easy. Treatment time is about 5 minutes and we as patients to treat themselves 2 to 3 times each day for the first 6 months. And then they may reduce to once a day after the six months to maintain any progress. Treatments cannot be stopped or regression will occur. The Acupuncture Center has a video that includes some patient reports on their treatment. This video can be ordered by mail from our office for $12. We also have a page with Patient Testimonials that may give you more information on past patient’s personal experiences. Top of Page
Is it safe? No side effects or adverse outcomes related to the procedure have been seen so far. Again, the number of people who have been treated has been small, and further work is needed before the real risks, if any, are known. Specifically, no increase in the conversion to the wet form of macular degeneration has been seen in those treated. This means, that although this treatment is thought to work by improving circulation, it has not been seen to increase any tendency to bleed or produce exudates. The National Institutes of Health recently published a Consensus Statement on Acupuncture (November, 1997) that included studies of treatments using microcurrent stimulation at acupuncture points for the treatment of stimulation at acupuncture points for the treatment of pain and various musculo-skeletal problems. The NIH Consensus Statement reports that, "One of the advantages … is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions." Top of Page
What Types Of AMD Can Be Treated? Some people assume that the “wet” for of AMD is either not treatable or very difficult to treat. At the Acupuncture Center we have found this not to be true. Many patients with the “wet” form have responded well. In fact they respond as well as patients with the “dry” form. Often patients have had either hot or ‘cold’ laser surgery. Laser surgery can create scaring on or near the macula. It is our experience that the results of damage from laser surgery can slow down progress. No matter what type of macular degeneration a patient has, we need to see a copy of medical records to help determine if they are a good candidate for the treatment. Top of Page
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