An eye twitch involves involuntary and repetitive eye muscle or eyelid movements. A minor twitch (typically called myokymia is often linked to tiredness, fatigue, stress, or a mild eye irritation. There are other forms of eye twitching, including:

•        Myokymia affects the upper and lower eyelids, but only one at a time, and goes away fairly quickly. It is considered the most common form of eye twitching.
•        Blepharospasms are rare and cause almost nonstop blinking or eye irritation. In severe cases, they can cause the eyelid to close shut substantially.
•        Hemifacial spasms are rarer conditions that affect one side of the face and impact daily life. They may stem from a nerve being pressed by an artery.

Eye twitches are common and harmless, but severe cases (like hemifacial spasms) may cause discomfort or interfere with daily activities. A detailed eye exam will help to identify the type of eye twitching you have and how to treat it safely. TCM may also help treat your eye twitching and relieve you from more serious forms of this involuntary condition.

Causes of Eye Twitching

Eye twitching can occur for various reasons, though the exact cause is unclear. Many causal factors include tiredness, fatigue, stress, and caffeine consumption, but certain types of eye twitching may also be caused by other reasons. That may include:

•        Certain medications.
•        Other medical conditions.
•        Nerve-related complications.
•        Muscle spasms.
•        Physical overexertion.
•        Poor air quality.

The TCM Perspective on Eye Twitching

From TCM’s viewpoint, various factors, like stress and anxiety, can disrupt the healthy flow of Qi throughout your body. TCM views Qi as a vital energy that maintains the body’s inner harmony, ensuring it always remains healthy. Any imbalance or stagnation can come from numerous factors, influencing this delicate balance and causing various concerns, including eye twitching.

TCM views eye twitching as a result of internal wind and liver deficiency, which impair Qi circulation throughout the body. Internal wind can agitate the facial muscles and nerves and potentially weaken one's well-being, allowing other pathogens to affect your health and worsen your eye twitching.

Meanwhile, the liver “opens to the eyes” as its meridian connects to the eyes. Internal wind or a liver yang excess can block the meridian and interrupt healthy Qi flow, causing it to stagnate and disrupt the body’s natural balance. This imbalance can cause your eye to twitch or cause irritation that leads to periodic eye twitching.

How to Stop Eye Twitching with TCM

TCM aims to treat the underlying causes of eye twitching, which involves restoring the body’s inner balance and expelling internal wind through holistic treatments.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture places small, sterile needles at specific acupoints to stimulate the body’s natural healing and promote inner balance for your well-being. With over 2,000 different acupoints on the body, your TCM therapist will identify the correct acupoints to address your eye twitching concerns safely. Here are a few acupoints that they will prioritise to help address your eye twitching.

Sizhukong

Located towards the end of the brow, this acupoint may help twitch eyelids and relieve any eye strain resulting from the twitching. It may also promote relaxation in eye muscles to reduce the frequency of eye twitches.

Zanzhu

This acupoint is found right above the inner end of the eyebrow and the inner corner of the eye. It is also known as Bladder 2 and is thought to help ease dry eyes, twitching eyelids, and blurred vision.

Chengqi

Found directly below the eye at the centre point, the Chengqi acupoint is stimulated to treat inflammation or other symptoms that cause the eye to twitch.

Herbal Remedies

Traditional herbal recipes have been passed down for thousands of years and have helped to treat various eye-related conditions. Today, herbal remedies continue to play a crucial role in alleviating eye complications alongside Western medical approaches. They combine different herbs to form a concoction you can prepare at home per your TCM therapist’s instructions.

Goji Berries

Also called wolfberries, goji berries are a prominent source of antioxidants that may help support healthy eye functions and reduce the severity of eye twitching.

Chrysanthemum Flowers

As part of a soothing tea, chrysanthemum can help keep you cool and refreshed and contains anti-inflammatory compounds to maintain eye health. It may even be handy to relieve eye strain due to a lack of sleep.

Complementing Western Medical Approaches for Eye Twitching

Western medicine has always focused on treating an illness by using symptoms to determine the cause of an eye condition, then relying on a systematic approach to treat it properly. In contrast, TCM identifies underlying imbalances in your body to determine the root cause of your condition. Despite their differences, an integrated approach may yield results in treating various eye conditions, including eye twitching.

TCM may be instrumental in supporting your medical treatments as a complementary therapy to enhance your eye health. Acupuncture, in particular, is known to be a complementary therapy if you have the support of a certified TCM therapist by your side. This unified approach may help you overcome significant irritation due to frequent eye twitching and ensure the root cause is addressed promptly.

Treat Your Eye Twitching with TCM

At the ICU Eye Care Unit, we are ready to provide holistic TCM care to address eye twitching using traditional Chinese medicine principles. Start your journey with us today; contact us for more information.