Could we settle for both? The condition foremost in my mind at the moment is age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) - described as the most common cause of vision loss in those aged over 50. This condition causes a gradual loss of central (not peripheral) vision but doesn't lead to complete blindness. We need central vision for detailed work and for things like reading and driving. Such loss of vision can occur within months, or over many years, depending on the type and severity. The 'wet' type of ARMD is more severe but more treatable than the dry type. Conventional medicine websites tend to state that visual loss caused by ARMD can't normally be reversed.
This photo illustrates how a macular-degenerated eye sees an image.
It's a different story if you check out sites featuring Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and herbs. And this is what I've being doing on behalf of my chair-bound relative who suffered a stroke last June and has had ARMD for some time now, unfortunately worsened by the stroke. Such sites discuss the benefits of nutritional supplements and Chinese herbs. Having trawled the internet, noted my findings, and checked with the GP that it was okay to proceed - M is on various medications - I've been searching for Edinburgh-based Chinese medicine shops. And today I stumbled upon the Academy of Chinese Medicine, and was able to consult with one of its professors.
She was confident that she could help M. with a mixture of acupuncture, perhaps three or four treatments, and herbs which would be taken for longer. Time will tell. The point is that sometimes we have to do our own research into what can be helpful for conditions when orthodox medicine comes up with little. As is so often the case, there are financial implications. This course of treatment won't come cheap, and for many it wouldn't be an option. And that isn't fair. But that mustn't stop us trying.
Conventional medicine is gradually becoming more accepting of some complementary therapies and I fully support the need for caution and demand for evidence of proper training, if I'm less accepting of insistence on double-blind randomised controlled trials. If there's one thing I'd love to see changed, though, it's that doctors in general learn to acknowledge the link between nutrition and health, all aspects of it. When I was training as a dietitian, I was told that medical students tended to skip the nutrition lectures as these were usually delivered at 9 am. I hope that no longer is the case.
If M.'s eyesight improves, even slightly, I will be spreading the word.
Optimistically yours
Jane
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