Can Vision Therapy Benefit You?

Visual impairment can take a heavy toll on anyone’s life. Fortunately, modern understanding of the eye’s workings has introduced novel treatments to help individuals deal with the condition effectively. Vision therapy is one such treatment.

What Is Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy is a drug-free and noninvasive treatment that improves how the eyes work together. It entails activities and exercises that retrain the brain to use the eyes better.

What to Expect During a Vision Therapy Session

An optometrist or a vision therapist will guide you through activities and exercises designed to improve visual function. The therapy sessions can last from 30 minutes to one hour. The frequency of the sessions will depend on your needs. Some patients require daily sessions, while others may need to visit the therapist every week.

Your therapist will give you additional exercises to do at home. They may involve using specialized equipment like eye patches or prisms. They can also be simple eye exercises that you can do without equipment.

Types of Vision Therapy Exercises and Activities

There are different types of vision therapy exercises and activities. These may include the following:
 

• Eye exercises – Eye exercises may involve focusing on an object at different distances, tracking an object in motion with the eyes, and using eye patches to strengthen the weaker eye

• Perpetual activities – These involve identifying letters, numbers, and shapes. You may also complete mazes and puzzles to improve your visual processing skills

• Sensory-motor activities – Involves using specialized equipment like balance boards and balls to improve balance and eye-hand coordination

• Computer-based activities – Some vision therapy programs improve visual functions like focusing abilities and eye tracking through computer-based activities

Who Can Benefit From Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy is ideal for individuals with various visual problems. It can improve the function of the weaker eye and coordination of the stronger eye for individuals with amblyopia or lazy eye. The therapy is also ideal for individuals with strabismus, also called crossed eyes. It helps improve eye coordination and alignment.

Vision therapy improves the ability of the eyes to work together effectively, called eye teaming. It enhances depth perception and reduces headaches and eyestrain. The therapy enhances visual acuity. It can help improve your ability to read and see objects at a distance. 

Individuals with binocular vision problems can realize an improved ability to focus on objects, depth perception, and eye teaming. It also enhances their ability to process visual information effectively. 

Sports performance can improve through visual therapy. It helps improve depth perception, focusing, and eye-tracking skills. The result is an improved reaction time and performance in sports.

How Long Does Vision Therapy Take to See Results?

The time it takes to see vision therapy results depends on your specific vision problems. Generally, most patients start seeing improvements within a few weeks or months of beginning vision therapy.
 

However, some may require more treatment periods to get their desired results. The length of treatment will depend on your needs and the visual problem you have. Patients should stay committed to visual therapy to achieve the best results.
 

For more about vision therapy, visit Southwest Orlando Eye Care at our office in Orlando, Florida. Call (407) 271-8931 to book an appointment today.