ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effects of myopia in children treated with abdominal acupuncture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety children with myopia were randomly divided into an abdominal acupuncture group (45 cases with 90 ill eyes) and an auricular point group(45 cases with 90 ill eyes). In the abdominal acupuncture group, Zhongwan (CV 12), Shangqu(KI 17), Xiawan(CV 10), Tianshu(ST 25), Qihai(CV 6), Guanyuan(CV 4) were treated with tapping method. The needles were not retained and down to the lower in accordance with the order from Zhongwan (CV 12) to Guanyuan(CV 4) for 5 min,and the erubescence skin without blood was proper. In the auricular point group, vaccaria seeds were pasted at gan(CO12), shen(CO10),pi(CO13), wei(CO4), yan(LO5), pingjianqian(TG2i), pingjianhou(ATli) and zhen(AT3); one ear was chosen every time and the other ear the second time with pressing of patient's own for 5 min every day. The treatment was given twice a week and 10 treatments were considered as one course in the two groups. The changes of the visual levels in visual chart before treatment, 20 min after the first treatment, after 5 weeks' and 3 months' treatment were compared between the two groups,and the clinicall efficacy was compared between the two groups as well.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The visual levels in visual chart were improved in the abdominal acupuncture group and auricular point group, and the effects 20 min after the first treatment, after 5 weeks' and 3 months' treatment in the abdominal acupuncture group were superior to those in the auricular point group(4. 78±0. 16 vs 4. 69±0. 22, P<0. 01; 4. 85±0. 16 vs 4. 79±0. 21, P<0. 05; 4. 89±0. 13 vs 4. 71±0. 25, P<0. 01). (2)The effective rates 20 min after the first treatment, after 5 weeks' and 3 months' treatment in the abdominal acupuncture group were better than those in the auricular point group[31. 4% (27/86) vs 0% (0/82). 81.4%(70/86) vs 60. 0%(49/82); 88. 4%(76/86) vs 51. 2%(42/82), all P<0. 01].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Abdominal acupuncture for improving the visual levels of myopia in children is superior to auricular point sticking.</p>