In addition to prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses and vision correction surgeries, a non-invasive method called vision therapy is popularly used by many optometrists to manage different eye conditions. This technique involves exercises that can help improve the working relationship between the neurological and visual systems.
Read on as Myopia Institute shares four common vision therapy exercises and devices to enhance eyesight.
1. Pencil Push-Up Therapy
This eye exercise aims to correct binocular visual disorders like strabismus. To start the therapy, hold a pencil at arm’s length. Draw the pencil towards the nose while keeping a clear focus. Repeat the exercise when the pencil begins to appear as a double image. Your eye doctor may suggest doing the exercise several times per day.
2. Computer Programs
Computer-assisted vision therapy involves activities that stress vergence, eye movements, accommodation and visual information processing. This type of therapy, however, still follows traditional vision therapy principles, but the variety and intricacies of the activities make it unique.
3. Prism or Lens Fixation
Your eye doctor will ask you to view an object while looking into different lenses of varying powers or prisms with certain orientations. This exercise teaches your eyes to see things and persons that may be at a close or nearby distance.
4. Patching
Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, occurs when the brain ignores image signals from a weaker eye. This can lead to the amblyopic eye’s further loss of function. Wearing an eye patch on the stronger eye will reduce stimuli, which will force your brain to accept the weaker eye’s visual cues.
5. Vision Rest
Individuals who spend lengthy periods focusing on computer screens should follow the 20/20/20 rule. This suggests resting your eyes after 20 minutes of computer use for at least 20 seconds while looking at an object that’s 20 feet away. A comprehensive eye exam with a reliable eye doctor, however, allows you to explore different eye protection options.
For more information about vision therapy, contact your local myopia specialist today.