Can acupuncture therapy help patients with retinitis-pigmentosa?

PurposeTo evaluate the effect of acupuncture therapy on visual function of patients with retinitis-pigmentosa (RP).
MethodsIn a prospective study, 23 RP subjects received ten sessions of body-acupuncture. Pre and post-treatment evaluations included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), near visual acuity (NVA), and static 30-2 perimetry.
ResultsUCVA, BCVA, and NVA improvements after acupuncture therapy were statistically and clinically significant (P = 0.048, P = 0.0005, P = 0.002, respectively). The changes of mean foveal threshold (MFT) and mean deviation (MD) were statistically significant (P = 0.031, P = 0.02). There were no statistically significant difference between different age group and genders. Subjective symptoms of improvement were seen in most of cases.
ConclusionFuture studies are needed to show the effect of acupuncture therapy on visual function of patients with RP.