What if you could correct fuzzy or blurred vision without needing corrective lenses? A controversial new procedure in optometry has eye doctors everywhere on the fence: vision therapy. Much like physical or occupational therapy, vision therapy seeks to help correct minor vision problems with exercises instead of surgery or corrective lenses.
Especially for vision problems in children, vision therapy has been a hot topic: while some are all for this new form of vision correction, others aren’t certain it’s worth the trouble.
What’s all the commotion about?
As of this year, there haven’t been any studies to prove that vision therapy actually works, so it isn’t hard to see why some optometrists aren’t convinced. However, it is a practice closely related to orthoptism, which works to correct lazy eyes in children by help of a licensed professional. Vision therapy works through simple vision exercises that can be performed at the office or at home and are recommended specifically for a vision condition by your doctor.
Vision therapy is believed to use the neuroplasticity—the ability to change structure and function in response to stimuli- in the brain to retrain it. Advocates for vision therapy say that carefully devised and administered therapy exercises can use the neuroplasticity to correct and improve vision. Some of the conditions it is rumored to treat include:
- Amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” is a condition in which the brain ignores partial or all input from one eye. Although rare, the disorder may also affect both eyes. The eye that the brain ignores may or may not droop or roll away from the path of the other eye. Strabismus refers to a more severe form of amblyopia that results in crossed eyes.
- Binocular vision problems, or subtle eye alignment problems, may not be as noticeable as amblyopia or strabismus but results in eye strain and fatigue. Eye movement disorders, on the other hand, affect how the eye moves and may also be treated through therapy.
- Accommodative disorders involve issues with focus in both near and far situations.
- Other vision problems include visual-perceptual disorders and vision issues associated with a developmental disability or traumatic brain injury may also benefit from therapy.
Retraining Your Brain
Vision therapy is something that should be requested and supervised by your optometrist. However, there are a few at-home exercises that could really give your eyes a work out. Test the strength of your vision with some of these:
- While a simple ball may seem like a child (or dog’s) toy, it can really help your eyes out. Grab a ball (anywhere from a softball to soccer ball size) and write a variety of letters and numbers in various sizes all over its surface. Tether your ball so it hangs at eye-level, and give it a spin (think tetherball for your brain). Call out the numbers and letters you see as it swings, but no cheating: you should be standing a few feet away.
- Use your hands for a number of simple exercises: warming your palms and then pressing them against your eyes for a few seconds can help relieve stress and exhaustion. Moving your thumbs in circular motions is a great way to practice focusing. Feel free to get creative here: anything your hands can do can help you see better.
- Relaxing your eyes can be crucial if you do a lot of up-close work: reading, computer work, or even detailed work such as wiring can really tire your eyes. To give your eyes the break they deserve, tack a newspaper to the wall about six to eight feet away from where you’re working. Occasionally look at the newspaper—reading headlines and sublines, as much as you can—to help your eyes adjust to focusing at different distances.
Your eyes are muscles that need exercise, just as much as the rest of your body. While you don’t have to get off the couch, you do need to give your eyes a work out! Vision is a crucial aspect in your daily life: don’t let yours suffer due to a lack of exercise. If you have more questions, or suspect vision therapy may be the right path for you, contact us today!