By: Erica O’Brien, O.D., F.C.O.V.D.
Did you know that vision therapy can help people of all ages, including adults? There is mounting evidence in research of neuroplasticity showing that visual pathways in the brain can be retrained even past our childhood.
We commonly hear from adults at OCVT that they didn’t know they were a candidate for treatment because they were told vision therapy couldn’t help them or they weren’t aware there was treatment to help. As an adult, the visual demands of academics and professional expectations increase exponentially, and having a visual dysfunction can significantly increase stress and frustration levels.
At OCVT, we see many adults in our clinic that may have been told that they are past the point where therapy will make a difference, and I am here to tell you that we see life-altering results in adults in our clinic daily.
Our goal at OCVT is to provide individualized, compassionate care for individuals of all ages. I have put together a list of some of the most common reasons adults seek vision therapy in our clinic:
Amblyopia (“Lazy” Eye) and Strabismus
We see many adults at our practice that have been told time and time again that nothing can be done to help their strabismus and/or amblyopia. Some adults may have worn a patch or even had surgery with minimal improvements. Many adults with strabismus have surgery (or multiple surgeries) as a child for cosmetic correction, but what we know is that the brain still doesn’t recognize vision in that eye or the eye may still turn. With amblyopia (commonly known as a “lazy eye”), the visual system develops a more dominant eye that often has 20/20 eye sight. The other eye is significantly impaired in eye sight and this can disrupt binocular vision affecting driving, depth perception, ability to see 3D movies, reading and work performance. Research also shows that individuals with strabismus and amblyopia have higher levels of anxiety, and reduced levels of self-esteem and self-confidence.
With our specialized training and technology at OCVT, we can help improve quality of vision (and life) in individuals that have compensated for the effects amblyopia and/or strabismus their entire lives. Treatment is much more effective and fun than just wearing an eye patch, we teach how to use the two eyes together.