Effect of Acupuncture Stimulation on the Recovery of Critical Fusion Frequency Decreased by VDT Work

In order to quantitatively evaluate the effect of acupuncture stimulation as traditional Oriental therapy on the recovery from eye fatigue induced by VDT (visual display terminal) work, changes in the critical fusion frequency were measured. Two subject groups were examined: one group consisted of short-time (about 1 hr/day) VDT workers and the other group consisted of a long-time (about 7 hr/day) VDT worker. The resulting findings were as follows. The critical fusion frequency after acupuncture stimulation significantly increased (i.e., the fatigue was recovered) more than that after no stimulation, at relatively early stages of the stimulation course. As an entire tendency, the recovery time of the critical fusion frequency was shortened by the stimulation, depending on the stimulation time. The recovery rate of eye fatigue was the largest at the earliest stage, 4 minutes, and gradually decreased at the following stages of the stimulation course. In the case of the long-time VDT worker, the decrease in the critical fusion frequency after a VDT work test (8 min) was relatively small, and the value of the critical fusion frequency after 12 minutes of stimulation became larger than the initial value. These experimental results suggest that, as a preventive medicine, acupuncture stimulation can considerably help to relieve eye fatigue, whether one is involved in VDT work or not.