Common Questions about Vision Therapy

Seeing clearly and comfortably is more than just achieving 20/20 vision
with your glasses or contact lenses. We are spending more time than ever on
computers, tablets, and reading. For these near activities, our eyes need
to focus and work well together. If our visual system is not performing
well, we can experience blurred vision, eyestrain, headaches, and even
double vision. These symptoms can adversely affect our school and work
performance.

What is vision therapy?

Vision therapy is a program of vision procedures performed by an
optometrist or vision therapist under the supervision of an optometrist.
Vision therapy helps to improve the manner in which their brain and eyes
work together. One could think of vision therapy as a sort-of physical
therapy for the eyes and brain. The tools and medical equipment used
include lenses, filters, prisms, and a variety of other specialized tools.
Each program is designed for specific needs of each patient. Vision therapy
sessions last between 30 minutes to an hour, and are performed one to two
times per week. Programs are typically between 12-14 weeks in length, but
will last until a patient exhibits improvements in signs and symptoms.

Do these exercises simply strengthen eye muscles?

Nothing about vision therapy is centered on strengthening eye muscles.
Instead, vision therapy works to strengthen neurological pathways between
the eyes and the brain.

What is the first step in a vision therapy program?

A comprehensive vision exam is necessary before starting therapy. If a
problem is detected during the comprehensive examination, we will schedule
a binocular evaluation to further assess and diagnose your binocular or
perceptual vision problem. Following the binocular evaluation, our doctor
will discuss a plan for vision therapy that is tailored to your specific
condition.

Is there scientific evidence that it really works?

Optometric vision therapy is supported by evidence-based research. Patients
can benefit from improvement in symptoms such as eyestrain, fatigue, and
double vision. A decrease in symptoms can improve a patient's quality of
life and enhance performance in school, sports, and work. For more
information on vision therapy research, you can visit www.covd.org.

Who typically needs vision therapy? It can be a useful tool for helping
children and adults alike. Children can benefit from better comfort and
efficiency during reading and computer work. Additionally, children with
vision-related learning or reading problems can better retain and process
information. Adults can see improvement through this therapy, as well. It
can help curb eye-strain related vision processing problems brought on by
working with computers all day.

Call us today at 757-596-4018  if you have any questions or would like to find out more information about our Vision Therapy services!