A New Perspective: How Vision Therapy Can Enhance Your Visual Skills

As humans, our vision is one of our most important senses. But not everyone has the same visual skills. Others have difficulties with eye teaming, tracking, and focusing. Fortunately, there is a solution: vision therapy.
 

What Is Vision Therapy?

It is a form of therapy that aims to improve visual skills and abilities. It is often used to treat conditions such as lazy eyes, crossed eyes, and other vision-related issues. It utilizes a noninvasive and drug-free approach.
 

How Does Vision Therapy Work?

Vision therapy trains your brain and eyes to work together more effectively. It involves a series of exercises and activities designed to improve specific visual skills, such as eye teaming, tracking, and focusing. These exercises involve using special equipment or tools, such as prism glasses or computer programs.
 

Neuroplasticity in Vision Therapy

The ability of the brain to adapt and change in response to new experiences is known as neuroplasticity. By engaging in specific exercises and activities, the brain can form new neural connections and improve visual processing and coordination.
 

What Are the Benefits of Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy benefits include:

Visual Acuity Improvement

Vision therapy can significantly improve the sharpness of vision or visual acuity. If you have refractive errors, vision therapy is perfect for you.

Enhanced Visual Processing

Vision therapy can improve visual processing, the ability to interpret and understand visual information. If you struggle with tasks that require visual processing skills, vision therapy can help you. Examples of these tasks include reading and writing.

Better Eye Teaming and Tracking

Vision therapy can improve eye teaming and tracking, whether you can use both eyes together and follow moving objects with the eyes. This can benefit people with strabismus (crossed eyes) or other issues with eye alignment.

Better Sports Performance

Vision therapy can improve visual skills that are important for sports performance, such as depth perception, peripheral vision, and visual tracking.

Is Vision Therapy Right for You?

Vision therapy may be perfect for you if you experience vision-related issues. An eye care professional will evaluate your vision and determine if vision therapy suits you. Each treatment plan is typically tailored to the patient's individual needs.

What Does Vision Therapy Entail?

Vision therapy typically involves weekly or biweekly sessions with a trained vision therapist. Your therapist will guide you through a series of exercises and activities during these sessions. They are all designed to improve specific visual skills. These exercises may include using a variety of equipment, such as prism glasses, balance boards, and computer programs.

In addition to in-office sessions, you may also be given at-home exercises to perform between sessions. They aim to reinforce the skills learned during therapy, helping you make progress quicker.

What Are Some Common Visual Issues That Vision Therapy Can Address?

Vision therapy can be used to address a wide range of visual issues, including:

• Lazy eye (amblyopia)
• Crossed eyes (strabismus)
• Eye tracking problems
• Focusing problems
• Depth perception issues
• Visual processing problems
• Visual perceptual disorders

Still, vision therapy is not a substitute for corrective lenses or surgery. In some cases, corrective lenses or surgery may be required in addition to vision therapy.

For more on vision therapy, visit Davie Family Eye Care at our office in Davie, Florida. Call (754) 238-5360 to book an appointment today.