Objective To investigate the features

dominant indications and application regularities of eye acupuncture therapy in clinical practice.Methods We first collected original articles

academic dissertations

conference articles

and case reports from databases of CNKI

Wanfang

and Chinese biomedical literature(CBM)from Jan.1 of 1980 to Dec.31 of 2017

and medical records from medical books of Zhonghua Yan Zhen(Chinese Eye Acupuncture Therapy)

Yanzhen Shijian Lu(Records of Application of Eye Acupuncture Therapy)

and Peng Jing-shan's Yanzhen Liaofa Yanjiu(Peng Jing-shan's Eye Acupuncture Therapy)by using keyword of"eye acupuncture".Then

we established an"Eye-acupuncture Database"after sorting

screening

typing-in

checking

and extraction of the collected data by SQL server 2005 and 2005 Analysis Services(SASS)

followed by analysis of the dominant indications

needling methods

needle manipulations

principles for acupoint selection

and clinical effect.Results Among the 850 articles retrieved

178 were eligible to be subjected to analysis

including 42 disorders/diseases in 7 categories.The eye acupuncture therapy has the highest application frequency for 19 types of disorders/diseases of the internal medicine

such as sequela of apoplexy

hiccup

insomnia

vertigo

hypertension

etc.

followed by head and body pain(7 types:headache

lumbago

sciatica

shoulder pain

etc.)

disorders of the ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology(deafness

squinting eyes

dry eye syndrome

amblyopia

etc.)

traumatic injury

gynecopathy

acute pain(biliary colic

renal colic).The effect rate was 95.87%for disorders of the gynecopathy

95.54%for head and body pain

94.53%for traumatic skin injury

92.16%for emergency

91.98%for disorders of the five sense organs

91.43%for problems of the internal medicine

etc.Regarding the principle of acupoint selection

acupoints were chosen mainly according to the meridian running(146 articles)

local region of the eye(14 articles)and diseased location(153 articles).A total of 157 articles have a marked description about the needling methods

including horizontal needling(81 articles)

intra-orbital straight needling(22 articles)

extra-orbital oblique needling(13 articles)

etc.The duration of needle retaining was mostly from 15 to 30 minutes

and the handle-scraping was frequently adopted(34 articles)

and the overall treatment frequency ranged from 11 to 20 times.In regard to the medical records

a total of 53 types of disorders were involved

including 37 types of the internal medicine such as stroke sequelae(34 articles)

facial paralysis(11 articles)

etc.The acupoints were selected according to the local region of eye(129 articles)

the needle insertion involved horizontal needling(102 articles)

and cured rate reported was higher than 90%.Conclusion Eye acupuncture therapy is widely used for a variety of disorders and has a positive effect

particularly for stroke sequelae and various acute and chronic pain problems.