Vision Therapy

Discover Vision Therapy: Training Your Eyes and Brain

At Eyecare Eyewear, we believe clear sight is just one part of healthy vision. Vision Therapy is a highly effective, non-surgical program designed to improve and enhance your visual skills and abilities. Think of it as “physical therapy for the eyes and brain.”

It’s a customised program of exercises and activities that train your visual system to work more efficiently, accurately, and comfortably. While glasses correct vision, vision therapy teaches your eyes and brain to work together better.

Who Can Benefit from Vision Therapy?

Many individuals, both children and adults, can experience significant improvements in their daily lives through vision therapy. It’s often recommended for those struggling with:

• Learning-related vision problems (e.g., difficulty reading, poor comprehension)
• Eye teaming (binocular vision) issues (e.g., eyes not working together smoothly)
• Focusing difficulties
• Eye tracking problems
• Amblyopia (“lazy eye”) and Strabismus (“crossed eyes”)
• Visual symptoms following concussion or brain injury
• General eye strain and headaches

Our experienced optometrists will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine if vision therapy is the right solution for you or your child.

Targeting Common Challenges: Convergence Insufficiency

One of the most common conditions successfully treated with vision therapy is Convergence Insufficiency (CI). This occurs when your eyes struggle to turn inward to focus on near objects, like when reading. Symptoms often include:

• Eye strain
• Headaches
• Blurred or double vision during near work
• Difficulty concentrating
• Skipping lines or losing place while reading

The Evidence is Clear: Vision Therapy for CI

Optometric vision therapy is supported by high-quality evidence for the treatment of convergence insufficiency in children and adults.

Multiple rigorous studies, including randomized controlled trials, have demonstrated that:

• Office-based vision therapy with home reinforcement is significantly more effective than home-based therapy or placebo for improving the symptoms and clinical signs of CI. This includes measurable improvements in eye teaming abilities like near point of convergence (how close your eyes can work together) and positive fusional vergence (the ability to converge without double vision).
• The positive effects of vision therapy for CI are durable, with benefits lasting for at least one year after treatment completion.

This strong evidence confirms that vision therapy, delivered by trained professionals, is a powerful tool for overcoming the challenges of Convergence Insufficiency.

Enhancing Focus: Accommodative Dysfunction

Another key area where vision therapy excels is in treating accommodative dysfunction. Accommodation is your eyes’ ability to change focus quickly and clearly at different distances. When this system isn’t working properly, you might experience:

• Blurred vision, especially when shifting focus between near and far
• Difficulty sustaining focus for reading or computer work
• Eye fatigue and headaches
• Reading comprehension issues

Vision Therapy’s Impact on Accommodative Skills

Vision therapy is also highly effective for accommodative dysfunction. Studies have shown significant improvements in accommodative amplitude (the total amount of focus change available) and accommodative facility (how quickly and easily your eyes can change focus) in school-aged children undergoing therapy.

This means that through targeted exercises, patients can learn to focus more efficiently and comfortably, leading to:

• Reduced eye strain during reading and computer use.
• Improved reading fluency and comprehension.
• Enhanced concentration and academic performance for students.

Our customised therapy programs are designed to strengthen your visual system’s ability to maintain clear focus, providing lasting relief from accommodative challenges.

Your Vision Therapy Journey in Dalby and Chinchilla

At Eyecare Eyewear, your vision therapy program will be carefully tailored to your specific needs and goals. Our therapy sessions are engaging and fun, incorporating specialised equipment and activities to retrain your visual system.

What to Expect:

1. Comprehensive Evaluation: A detailed assessment to diagnose your specific visual skill deficits.
2. Personalised Program: A customised treatment plan designed by your optometrist.
3. In-Office Sessions: Weekly or bi-weekly sessions with our trained vision therapists.
4. Home Reinforcement: Activities to practice at home to reinforce in-office gains.
5. Progress Monitoring: Regular re-evaluations to track improvements and adjust your program.

Ready to transform your vision?

If you or your child are struggling with symptoms related to eye teaming or focusing, vision therapy could be the answer.

Contact Eyecare Eyewear today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how vision therapy can help you achieve your full visual potential.