Vision Therapy
What is vision therapy?
Vision therapy is an individualized treatment program prescribed to improve conditions like crossed-eyes (strabismus) or lazy eye (amblyopia) and to help you learn, relearn or reinforce specific vision skills. Such skills include eye movement control, focusing control, eye coordination and teamwork of the two eyes.
How does vision therapy work?
Like many of our skills, visual skills are developed. Since they are developed, they can generally be improved via proper therapy. In vision therapy, the optometrist prescribes individually appropriate visual tasks/exercises to be practiced regularly. Repetition of these tasks enhances vision by coordinating, strengthening and improving eye movement, focusing ability and by straightening the eye alignment.
How successful is vision therapy?
Vision therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for many problems that cannot be treated with eyeglasses or lenses alone. It can help people see more clearly, efficiently and comfortably. Success, however, is not guaranteed. Much of the improvement depends on the patient's willingness to follow the optometrist's instructions. For patients who do so, significant progress toward more efficient and comfortable vision usually results.
What are some vision therapy procedures?
In addition to the use of lenses, prisms and filters, there are many different procedures that can be used in vision therapy. Some, using stereo-viewers or video games, may seem like child's play. More sophisticated equipment and instruments are also used to increase the eye's ability to see and the brain's ability to understand the visual information.
How long does vision therapy take?
The length of time required for completion of vision therapy programs, including the number of visits per week, the length or each visit and the amount of out-of-office therapy, varies. This is dependent upon the type of vision problem(s), how long the condition has existed, the motivation of the patient and the level of improvement desired. A typical program may take from a few weeks to several months.
How will vision therapy affect my lifestyle?
Depending upon your vision condition, therapy can have a profound effect on your lifestyle. By undergoing vision therapy, you may find yourself looking at life in a whole new way. Your Doctor of Optometry can provide you with more specific information and about how vision therapy can help improve your vision.
Information courtesy of the Canadian Association of Optometrists
