Surgery is usually not necessary for most vision problems. In most situations, vision therapy is a viable option. Vision therapy is an effective non-invasive treatment for various common eye problems, including crossed eyes, reading/learning disorders, double vision, lazy eye, and more.

It's a form of physical therapy that mainly focuses on the brain and eyes to train the entire visual system. Our optometrist at AssureVision in Arlington Heights and Barrington combines specific physical exercises and monitored in-office therapy programs to develop visual skills and improve visual ease and efficiency.

How Does Vision Therapy Work?

Vision therapy is an advanced vision treatment plan that involves progressive eye exercises and procedures designed to improve the brain's ability to control focusing abilities, visual perception, eye teaming, and alignment skills. Our optometrist conducts supervised in-office sessions customized to meet each patient's personal needs and combines them with complementary home-based procedures.

Depending on the particular problem, our eye doctor may also opt to include other devices in the training process such as patches, balance boards, filters, electronic targets, prisms, etc. The aim is to help the patient improve basic visual skills, visual ease, and efficiency to alter how they process and interpret images and other visual information.

Types of Vision Therapy

Three categories of vision therapy include:

• Orthoptic vision therapy – Involves a series of exercises done over several weeks or months to develop binocular function. In addition to evaluating and measuring visual deviations, our optometrist also manages and treats symptomatic convergence deficiency.
• Behavioral vision therapy – Focuses on specific eye exercises to boost perception and processing.
• Nearsightedness vision therapy – this therapy manages and corrects myopia.

Who Can Benefit from Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy can benefit both children and adults suffering from various visual challenges such as:

Learning-Related Eye Disorders

• Dyslexia
• Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD/ADHD)
• Eye-tracking/teaming problem
• Eyes feel strained and tired after reading for a short time
• Poor eye contact
• Poor coordination

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-Related Vision Disorders

• Double vision
• Memory losses
• Eye Turn
• Visual field loss
• Difficulty in concentration
• Experiencing headaches during visual tasks

Injury-Related Eye Problems

• Drowsiness
• Poor coordination and balance issues

Contact Us for Vision Therapy from Our Optometrist in Arlington Heights or Barrington, IL

In addition to strengthening the eyes, vision therapy also improves neurological communication between the brain and the eyes. The brain directly influences vision based on how it interprets the visual information received. To maintain optimal eyesight, you must have a healthy connection between your brain and eyes. If you or a family member is suffering from any visual problems in Arlington Heights and Barrington, contact us at AssureVision today to schedule an appointment.