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Case Reports
. 2025 Jul 11;104(28):e43279.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000043279.

Effect of extraocular muscle motion style acupuncture treatment on a patient with oculomotor nerve palsy unresponsive to conventional treatment: A case report

Hyukjin Jeong  1 , Nam-Woo Lee  1 , Jinho Lee  1 , Joon-Shik Shin  1 , In-Hyuk Ha  2 , Yoon Jae Lee  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Effect of extraocular muscle motion style acupuncture treatment on a patient with oculomotor nerve palsy unresponsive to conventional treatment: A case report

Hyukjin Jeong et al. Medicine (Baltimore). .

Abstract

Rationale: Oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) is a condition with limited treatment options and significantly affects patients' quality of life due to its prolonged recovery period, typically lasting 3 to 6 months. This case report describes a patient with ONP, unresponsive to conventional treatment, who was treated with integrative Korean medicine (KM), including extraocular muscle motion-style acupuncture treatment (MSAT).

Patient concerns: A 43-year-old woman presented with symptoms of left ophthalmoplegia, diplopia, and ptosis during postpartum care after undergoing a cesarean section for preeclampsia.

Diagnoses: On the day of onset, magnetic resonance imaging and clinical evaluation confirmed a diagnosis of left third cranial nerve (oculomotor) palsy.

Interventions: She received inpatient treatment followed by outpatient steroid therapy; however, she experienced no improvement for 4 weeks following onset. Subsequently, underwent integrative KM treatment, including extraocular muscle MSAT, over 6 weeks. The MSAT involved the insertion of acupuncture needles into the affected extraocular muscles, followed by guided eye movements in the directions with impaired mobility while the needles remained in place.

Outcomes: After 6 weeks of treatment, the patient's symptoms, including ptosis, diplopia, and exotropia, improved markedly.

Lessons: This case suggests that integrative KM treatment, particularly extraocular muscle MSAT, may facilitate faster recovery in patients with ONP, highlighting its potential as an effective therapeutic approach for patients unresponsive to conventional treatment. Further validation through large-scale randomized controlled trials is necessary to confirm the efficacy of this method.

Keywords: case report; diplopia; exotropia; motion style acupuncture; ophthalmoplegia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Outline of interventions and trend in functional recovery.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Application of extraocular muscle MSAT. MSAT = motion-style acupuncture treatment.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Visible changes in the patient’s left eye over time.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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