The History Behind Eye Exercises | Rebuild Your Vision

Vision therapy is not a new concept. In fact, vision training and therapy techniques have been around for years. The design of this therapy, or eye exercises, aids in overcoming various vision disorders, including binocular function.

This includes vision difficulties that stem from eye misalignment. Not all treatment methods have been proven effective by exercises; however the Rebuild Your Vision Program has shown to aid different vision disorders like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia (aging vision).

The Development of the Eye Exercise

In early history, the main use of eye exercises was with infants. This method of therapy involved placing a bright object in the infant’s surroundings in order to stimulate them to look in a particular direction. This was not necessarily for health purposes, but it was the beginning of eye exercises.

Ophthalmologists did not officially begin using eye exercises for aiding a person’s vision until 1928. This branch of ophthalmology was first recognized in Britain at this time. Since this formal use and recognition began, it has been embraced by many optometrists as an effective method of treatment.

Modern eye exercises have come a long way from the original training that was used. In the beginning, doctors would mainly have patients switch their vision from objects close to objects far away. However, with modern technology and innovation, there are many specialized pieces of equipment that can be used for eye exercises.

How Effective are Eye Exercises?The History Behind Eye Exercises

The fact is that when practiced regularly, eye exercises can be extremely effective in improving overall vision. The studies and testimonials are proof enough, but trying it yourself will lend the evidence to make you a believer in the effectiveness of eye exercises.

The disorders that are most aided by eye exercises are nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, astigmatism. In fact, these are known as the most common “eye problems” a person could have. Inside the Rebuild Your Vision Program we address each specific condition with tailored routines depending on your condition.

Convergence Disorder

This is a condition in which your eyes are not in proper alignment. This is the most common disorder that eye exercises are used to correct. Also, this condition has the most support for the effectiveness of eye exercises. It has been proven that the proper exercises can correct this disorder in both adults and children.

Amblyopia

This is a condition of the eyes where one eye is significantly more dominant than the other eye. This is typically treated by applying a patch to the dominant eye in order to encourage the increased activity of the lazy eye. Studies have shown for optimum effectiveness, the dominant eye should be patched for at least six hours a day.

Optic Nerve or Brain Injury

Some types of visual training has been proven to aid certain individuals who are suffering from an optic nerve or brain injury and can help to improve these individuals actual field of vision.

Types of Eye Exercises

There is a wide array of eye exercises that can be used both at home and in an office environment to help correct certain vision problems. Each of the therapies have their own benefits, and when combined, may actually prove more effective.

Pencil Push Up

This is the most common eye exercise that is recommended by ophthalmologists. During this exercise a pencil is held directly in front of the person, at arm’s length. The pencil is slowly moved toward the patient’s nose. The patient is supposed to follow the pencil with their eyes while striving to keep it in focus at all times. When the pencil begins to appear in double, the exercise is repeated. This is used to correct binocular visual problems.

Lens Fixation

This eye exercise is typically only performed in the eye doctor’s office. A series of different lenses with various strengths are used to look through. The patient is supposed to adjust their eyes in order to be able to improve their sight in different visual fields.

Prism Fixation

This is another eye exercise that is typically only done in a professional office. The patient will look through a variety of prisms in order to improve a certain vision problem.

Shifting Fixation

This is when a patient changes the focus of their eyes from distant to near objects. This also aids in training the eyes to see better in different vision fields.

There are also a series of eye exercises that can be done for the relief of temporary eye irritations. These commonly occur in people who spend a large portion of their day in front of a computer screen. Those individuals have a much higher risk of developing a vision disorder than others. Some of the eye exercises for vision problems associated with simple eye irritation or strain include:

  • Eye movement: Simply move the eyes their full motion to reduce the chances of vision problems. This is important for anyone that looks in one direction for long periods of time.

  • Focus on far away objects: This is another way to give your eyes a much needed break. Just like your neck gets stiff when you sit in the same position for long periods of time, the same thing can happen to the muscles in the eye. It is important to take regular breaks and “stretch” your eyes!

There are many benefits when it comes to eye exercises so what do you have to lose to try them?