Strabismus can be divided into two types: concomitant strabismus and non-concomitant strabismus. Concomitant strabismus is more common in children and is often caused by excessive accommodation in farsighted eyes, resulting in excessive convergence. It is most likely to occur around the age of three. Now let's take a look at some pictures of children receiving massage therapy for strabismus.
Causes and Pathogenesis of Pediatric Strabismus
In traditional Chinese medicine, strabismus is believed to be caused by a disharmony of the liver due to obstruction of the meridians by pathogenic wind, disharmony of tendons and vessels, and imbalance of yin and yang. Its basic pathogenesis is similar to that of stroke, which is characterized by "sluggish pathogenic qi and urgent righteous qi, righteous qi leading pathogenic qi, resulting in deviation." However, in the case of strabismus, the external pathogenic factor and deviation occur in the eyeball, hence the names "wind-induced deviation" and "reversed pearl of the eye."
Diagnosis and Syndrome Differentiation of Strabismus
1. The main symptom is obvious deviation of one eye when both eyes are fixating on a target, with the deviation being either inward (towards the nose) or outward (towards the temple). In concomitant strabismus, the movement of the eye is generally normal, and there is no double vision. Paralytic strabismus, on the other hand, restricts eye movement, resulting in double vision, as well as symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, unsteady gait, and head tilt.
2. Ophthalmic examination can determine the degree and type of strabismus, and exclude other ophthalmic diseases.
Massage Therapy for Pediatric Strabismus
Treatment principles: dispel wind, correct deviation, activate blood circulation, and open meridians.
Treatment goals: improve visual acuity of the deviated eye, restore binocular vision function, and correct the deviation to achieve a harmonious appearance. The key to treatment lies in identifying the direction and degree of strabismus, and applying targeted techniques accordingly.
Basic techniques: 1. Hand acupoints: adjust the five zang organs, clear the liver meridian, clear the heart meridian, tonify the spleen meridian, grasp Hegu, transfer earth into water and water into earth, pinch or rub the Xiaotianxin of both hands, grasp the whole tendons, phoenix spreading wings; 2. Head and face techniques: open Tianmen, push Kangong, transfer Taiyang, rub the back of the ear high bone, grasp the five meridians, palm wiping technique; 3. Eye techniques: grasp Jingming, vibrate and press the eye socket, rub and pinch Cuanzhu, push and move the eyeball (use the index finger and thumb to push the eyeball to the left or right), rotate the eyeball (use the thumb and index finger to push the eyeball forward or backward on both sides), vibrate and press the eyeball, palm pressing on the eyes; 4. Techniques on the back and lower limbs: grasp Fengchi, grasp Jianjing, vibrate and press Dazhui, pinch the spine, rub Yanglingquan.
Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Pediatric Strabismus
1. For inward deviation: transfer water into earth, point, rub, pinch, and rub Xiaotianxin and whole tendons in the direction of outward, and focus on acupoint Jingming on the affected side.
2. For outward deviation: transfer earth into water, point, rub, pinch, and rub Xiaotianxin and whole tendons in the direction of inward, and focus on the acupoint Tongzi on the healthy side.
3. Upward deviation is mainly related to the posterior part of the eyeball, while downward deviation is mainly related to the lower part of the eyeball.
Precautions for Pediatric Strabismus Massage
1. For children, the younger they are, the better the therapeutic effect. Therefore, early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment are emphasized.
2. Active visual training should be conducted, such as consciously having the affected child point at their nose, focus on the tip of the nose, or look at a light source to correct their strabismus.
3. Eye patching should be used, covering the fixing eye to force the use of the deviated eye, in order to improve their ability to fixate and their visual acuity.
4. If massage therapy has no effect after 3-6 months of treatment, surgical treatment should be considered, or an ophthalmology consultation should be sought concurrently.
