You’ve seen children wearing a patch over one eye, the traditional treatment for amblyopia, also known as lazy eye. This common vision problem occurs when nerve pathways from one eye to the brain develop abnormally — so to avoid confusion from the resulting blurred images, the brain ignores what the weaker eye sees. This can lead to permanent vision loss. Covering the good eye forces the brain to recognize images from the lazy eye. But: The treatment doesn’t always work… and kids often dislike wearing the patch.

Fascinating new finding: Researchers assigned one group of seven-to-12-year-old amblyopia patients to wear eye patches for the typical two hours daily. A second group did not wear patches, but instead got acupuncture five times a week, with needles inserted at eight specific points (in the head, face, hands and legs) thought to be of visual benefit. After 15 weeks of treatment: In the patch group, vision improved, on average, by 1.8 lines on an eye chart test, and amblyopia was cured in 17% of children. In the acupuncture group, vision improved, on average, by 2.3 lines, and the condition was cured in 42% of children. After an additional 10 weeks of treatment: The cure rate in the patch group improved to 30%… the 42% cure rate was retained in the acupuncture group.

How it works: Acupuncture increases blood flow to the eye and brain, improving nerve growth factor (a substance that maintains the health of nerve cells) in the retina. But: Acupuncture involves time and expense (about $75 and up per session in the US), whereas a patch is practically free — and though acupuncture is nearly painless, some kids balk at needles.

While results are promising, more research is needed. Meanwhile, if your child has amblyopia, ask his or her ophthalmologist about acupuncture.