{"id":5174,"date":"2023-11-30T20:06:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T02:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/?p=5174"},"modified":"2024-03-26T23:05:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T04:05:05","slug":"what-is-vision-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/what-is-vision-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Vision Therapy?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like physical therapy improves the body\u2019s muscle tone, strength, and coordination, vision therapy is specific to the eyes. Certain eye conditions benefit from vision therapy, which consists of a series of exercises prescribed by your optometrist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When done as recommended, vision therapy or eye exercises strengthen eye muscles, improve the connection between the eyes and optic nerve, help the eyes work together (coordination), and can also enhance focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vision Therapy Only Works For Certain Eye Conditions<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vision therapy (VT) is completely non-invasive and does not use any medications. It usually combines therapy done in an office and exercises for you or your child to do at home. It can involve a combination of treatments, depending on a patient\u2019s diagnosis, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special lenses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patches<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/what-is-prism-correction\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prisms<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exercises\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other therapeutic tools<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The earlier vision therapy is used, the more effective it is. For example, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/signs-your-child-needs-glasses\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">children who need vision therapy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> exercises experience bigger and faster returns on their efforts. Children using VT exercises benefit from improved:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reading<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Concentration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attention<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adults may need a bit more patience to see the results of their efforts. However, the combined effects of exercises that strengthen eye muscles <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> improve the connection between the eyes and the brain have positive benefits, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/prevent-eye-strain-do-you-honor-the-20-20-20-rule\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reduced eye strain<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your optometrist or ophthalmologist recommends vision therapy, odds are you\u2019ll soon notice an improvement in:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduced eye strain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability to track objects in motion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eye comfort<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual concentration<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The caveat is that vision therapy is only effective for particular eye or vision conditions. In cases involving reduced visual acuity (being nearsighted, farsighted, or having astigmatism), VT may help some aspects of eye coordination but does not change the diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Six Common Eye Conditions That Benefit From VT<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are seven of the most common eye or vision conditions treated using vision therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lazy eye (amblyopia)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually, a lazy eye is diagnosed early in a toddler or child\u2019s life. In most cases, vision therapy and at-home practices (typically using a patch) are enough to correct the condition completely. When one eye wanders or shifts out of focus, the one in focus does most of the work. Over time, and without correction, the brain conserves energy and stops trying to decipher images input by the weak eye.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By working on focusing the weaker eye muscles, we also engage cooperation between both eyes and the optic nerve, eventually getting them back on track. While there may still be an acuity issue requiring glasses or contact lenses, both eyes will track together again.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misaligned eye(s) (strabismus)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crossed eyes are similar to a lazy eye, but both eyes are weak and have trouble focusing on a single point of vision, so they wander inward or outward as if they\u2019re looking at the bridge of the nose.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children and adults with misaligned eyes typically see double and may struggle with depth perception. As with a lazy eye, misaligned eyes must be corrected while the child is young. After a certain age, vision therapy is no longer effective; correction may be impossible or require surgical intervention.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Convergence insufficiency<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, it means your eyes aren\u2019t working together to focus on a single point in the short-distance range. This can result in eye strain (especially if you spend a significant amount of time on a screen), reading difficulties, and headaches. Not surprisingly, children with undiagnosed convergence insufficiency often hate to read, score lower on reading comprehension tests and may be more prone to behavioral issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Convergence insufficiency is considered a binocular vision disorder since it affects both eyes, and studies show that between 10% to 15% of people have some degree of the condition. We use vision therapy to strengthen eye muscles and improve eye coordination.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eye disorders related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a higher chance of having related eye disorders. As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/vision-therapy-for-special-needs\/autism-vision\/how-does-vision-therapy-help-children-with-autism\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">optometrist.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> states, vision therapy supports individuals with autism to feel more safe and comfortable in their environments and can reduce associated behaviors or emotional reactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many vision therapy programs for children with ASD aim to strengthen:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Central vision<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peripheral stability<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Efficient eye coordination<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visuospatial organization<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual information processing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Down syndrome-related vision problems<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Down syndrome is another condition that increases the chances of a vision diagnosis. Patients with Down syndrome are likely to have nystagmus, strabismus, or amblyopia. We use VT to correct these to the best of our ability, improving visual processing, tracking, and focus.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Computer vision syndrome<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s right; contemporary lifestyles have led to a new vision diagnosis called computer vision syndrome. The combination of excessive exposure to blue light and stalled blinking (you blink less when staring at a screen) causes <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/dry-eye-prevention-and-treatment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dry eye and eye strain<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to supporting computer vision syndrome with lubricating eye drops and ample screen breaks, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/eye-exercises-to-improve-vision\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we can show you eye exercises<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and massages to stimulate the tear ducts. We also recommend following <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aoa.org\/AOA\/Images\/Patients\/Eye%20Conditions\/20-20-20-rule.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the 20-20-20 rule<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and doing some stretching and self-massage techniques to relieve back, neck, and shoulder strain.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eye To Eye Can Determine If You\u2019re A Candidate For Vision Therapy<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you curious to see if vision therapy has the potential to improve your vision? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schedule an appointment at Eye to Eye Family Vision Care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If our doctors determine that vision therapy is the right treatment for you, they will recommend and refer you to a vision therapist.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just like physical therapy improves the body\u2019s muscle tone, strength, and coordination, vision therapy is specific to the eyes. Certain eye conditions benefit from vision therapy, which consists of a series of exercises prescribed by your optometrist.\u00a0 When done as recommended, vision therapy or eye exercises strengthen eye muscles, improve the connection between the eyes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"What Is Vision Therapy? | Eye To Eye","_seopress_titles_desc":"Vision therapy (VT) is like physical therapy for the eyes. It improves muscle tone, coordination, and focus for certain diagnoses. Learn if VT can help you.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5174"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5174"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5182,"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5174\/revisions\/5182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyetoeyefamilyvisioncare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}