Objective To investigate the effect of walnut moxibustion combined with syndrome differentiation nursing care for patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) during proliferative stage. Methods One hundred and eighty-four patients with DR during proliferative stage treated at Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ophthalmology, Jinan Second People's Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected for the randomized controlled trial, and were divided into a control group, a syndrome differentiation group, a walnut moxibustion group, and syndrome differentiation+walnut moxibustion group by the random number table method, with 46 cases in each group. There were 28 males and 18 females in the control group; they were (52.19±8.06) years old; their diabetic course was (6.92±1.15) years; their DR course was (8.22±1.30) years. There were 25 males and 21 females in the syndrome differentiation group; they were (55.09±9.22) years old; their diabetic course was (6.69±1.08) years; their DR course was (8.41±1.36) years. There were 27 males and 19 females in the walnut moxibustion group; they were (53.37±10.14) years old; their diabetic course was (7.13±1.28) years; their DR course was (8.70±1.42) years. There were 28 males and 18 females in the syndrome differentiation+walnut moxibustion group; they were (53.95±9.16) years old; their diabetic course was (6.85±1.20) years; their DR course was (8.59±1.44) years. All the 4 groups took routine care; in addition, the syndrome differentiation group took syndrome differentiation nursing care, the walnut moxibustion group took walnut moxibustion, and the syndrome differentiation+walnut moxibustion group took syndrome differentiation nursing care and walnut moxibustion, for 3 months. The intervention effects, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual acuities (MS), central macular thicknesses (cMT), anxiety levels [Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS)], and quality of life [Chinese-version Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire (CLVQOL)] before and after the intervention, and incidences of complications were compared between the two groups by one-way ANOVA, t test, χ2 test, Fisher exact test, and rank sum test. Results The total effective rate in the syndrome differentiation+walnut moxibustion group was higher than those in the syndrome differentiation group, walnut moxibustion group, and control group [95.56% (43/45) vs. 80.43% (37/46), 81.40% (35/43), and 61.36% (27/44)], with a statistical difference (P<0.05). Before the intervention, there were no statistical differences in BCVA, MS, cMT, and scores of SAS and CLVQOL between the four groups (all P>0.05). After the intervention, the BCVA, MS, and score of CLVQOL in the syndrome differentiation+walnut moxibustion group were higher than those in the syndrome differentiation group, walnut moxibustion group, and control group [(0.69±0.11) vs. (0.52±0.10), (0.50±0.08), and (0.36±0.06); (22.90±3.95) dB vs. (19.78±3.76) dB, (20.04±3.53) dB, and (17.22±3.14) dB; (85.53±14.65) vs. (73.11±12.50), (69.39±11.72), and (60.48±10.26)]; the cMT and score of SAS in the syndrome differentiation+walnut moxibustion group were lower than those in the syndrome differentiation group, walnut moxibustion group, and control group [(229.17±29.96) μm vs. (339.05±52.27) μm, (354.92±56.43) μm, and (434.11±63.89) μm; (30.59±5.15) vs. (36.65±5.77), (37.83±5.62), and (40.91±6.08)]; there were statistical differences (all P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the syndrome differentiation+walnut moxibustion group was lower than those in the syndrome differentiation group, walnut moxibustion group, and control group [4.44% (2/45) vs. 17.39% (8/46), 20.93% (9/43), and 25.00% (11/44)], with a statistical difference (P<0.05). Conclusion Walnut moxibustion combined with syndrome differentiation nursing care can effectively improve the intervention effect and vision level of patients with DR during proliferative stage, relieve their anxiety, improve their quality of life, and reduce the incidence of complications.