Any experience with vision programs that use eye exercises?

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with any of the vision
programs that use eye exercises.

I have recently ordered one on the internet, and I'm a week and a half in to
the program. I'm following the instructions, wearing the glasses as little
as possible, using reduced prescription glasses, etc., and I'm curious to
see if anyone has gone through the same thing, and what results they might
have had.

If there is interest, I can report back once I've completed a month or two
of the program.

I don't have my prescription handy, but I'm starting with roughly -3.50 in
my right eye, and -2.00 in my left eye.

Thanks and regards,

Jim.

 

Dear Jim,

Subject: Various "preventive" methods -- and
"attitudes" towards them.

The majority-opinion on sci.med.vision is profoundly hostile towards
the preventive methods. I would suggest going to:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/i-see/

For a more "balanced" review of your questions.

In short order you will find a series of "posters" who will "blast" you
and your questions.

Good luck,

Otis

 

Sorry you wasted your money. How much are you out? These "vision
programs" are simply scams. There are legitimate vision therapy exer-
cises but not the ones that magically reduce or eliminate refractive
errors
(myopia, astig, presbyopia). The only good thing is that these programs
cannot hurt your eyes or vision (unless the program tells you to stare
at the sun or something as lame-brained).

I'd suggest getting an eye exam right now to get the most accurate
prescription
(without telling the O.D. the purpose of your visit) and then repeat in
a few
months (again, without telling the O.D.) and actually get independent
verification to see if you actually reduced your myopia. My guess is
that
you'd find very little, if any, change. Let us know.

frank

 

I verified an improvement of a diopter of my myopia. My old script was:

left eye -5.5 sphere -.5 cylindar(160 axis) correctable to 20/30
right eye: -4.5 sphere, -1.0 cylindar(45 axis) correctable to 20/40

Now my new script is:

left eye: -4.5 sphere, -.75 cylindar(140 axis) correctable to 20/30
right eye: -3.5 sphere, -1.5 cylindar(55 axis) correctable to 20/40


The optometrist slightly undercorrected my cylindar the first time or
maybe it changed a little. However my sphere decreased by a diopter in
each eye! I didnt buy any "programs" I just read online how people
improved their vision, including this lady:


http://members.aol.com/myopiaprev/improvin.htm


she improved her vision and so did I! I undercorrect myself with weaker
glasses to strengthen my eyes and clear my vision. I also do focusing
exercises at near(without glasses!) and got my near point from 18cm and
now im up to 22cm!

 

Who performed these refractions and were they done under the same
conditions?

What did your OD say after he verified your 1 diopter improvement? What
does he think about your NVI?

 

I'm concluding a four month course of vision therapy right now. Mine
was through a normal optometrist's office for the purpose of improving
a convergence problem - not for the purpose of reducing or eliminating
my prescription. I wish it were otherwise, but mainstream vision
therapy folks do not claim that the exercises will be effective in
directly fixing myopia or astigmatism. The only thing I was told is
that sometimes astigmatism results from eye teaming issues, and if
therapy fixes the eye teaming problem, the astigmatism may go away as
well. No guarantee though.

I'd be very interested to hear how it works out for you though. I
really want something to be possible.

--

 

"The only thing I was told is
that sometimes astigmatism results from eye teaming issues, and if
therapy fixes the eye teaming problem, the astigmatism may go away as
well."

do tell me how! I just got new glasses today and now things are even
worse it appears! I was seeing better quality by not correcting my
cylindar! Ill make a thread on this

 

First, use your correct prescriptions when you need them, they will
prevent strain.
Seccond, there are useless excersises.
Third, I have a little experience with Bates' metod, I have improved my
eyesight (I had presbiopia - farsightedness) and I have a friend who
improved -1.25 dioptres in a year.
I can tell you that it might help, but as fast as you get the point of
the exersises, think if they are usefull for you.

 

I told you everything I know. You could go to a VT doctor and see if
they think you have any convergence type issues. I'm afraid that
anyone who claims they can work directly on your astigmatism is
probably a quack, although I wish it were otherwise.

After reading all I could find on the net, I am really starting to
think that astigmatism is caused, in some fashion, by how people use
their eyes. If you tend to use your eyes in the same way for long
periods of time, and if you do it in an unusual way, I believe
astigmatism is more likely to develop. In my case, I have a tendency
to look sideways at things, and I suspect that may be part of my
problem.

The "therapy" I'm going to try is to spend less time on computer. It
can't be helping.

--

 

Sorry, it's not. Having said that, there could be a possible
correlation
with eye "rubbing", especially excessive, due to allergic and/or dry
eye conditions.

Regardless, most astigmatism (not counting the very high astigmats,
irregular astig) is not a big deal in any sense of the word. It's just
not
a problem.

frank

 

I'm not sure what you mean. All I have is approximately -1 astigmatism
in each eye. It's a problem to me because it's the entire reason I
need glasses. I find my uncorrected vision unacceptable most of the
time.

As to the cause of astigmatism, how can you be so sure? I'm certainly
only speculating as to causes, but I find it hard to believe that I'm
developing progressively worse astigmatism for "no reason". I think
that it must be related in some fashion to how I use my eyes: prolonged
computer use, sleeping on my face, eye rubbing, looking sideways,
whatever.

I've posted links before to published studies showing that the axis of
astigmatism is predictable in some cases based on the scanning pattern
of the eyes. The same study also supported the theory that if you look
sideways at things (a lot) that the eye looking across your face will
develop more astigmatism.

--

 

I didn't pay attention, but in 2003 I was -0.75, now my lastest is up
to -1.5, although I think I'd be perfectly happy at -1.25 if not -1.
In 1994 I was 20/20, which probably means -0.5 or less, but I'm not
sure.

What's major? Like I keep saying, I had perfect vision (or at least
good enough that it never bothered me, and the FAA gave me an
unrestricted medical) in 1994. Something happened since then that has
made me reliant on glasses.

Anyway, why is it bunk? If I was born with it, that's one thing, but I
wasn't. And the articles I read have real data behind them, not mere
speculation.



--

 

Apparently, you didn't read the article. The do not predict identical
axis, they precict the symmetry you describe. Furthermore, they
accurately predicted the specific angles in the cases studied.

--

 

Moderate to severe astigmatism is at least 3 d and up. What happened
to cause this change?? My guess, you got OLDER.

frank

 

presbyopia is not the same as farsightedness. but some of the rip-off
eye exercise programs don't seem to appreciate the difference.

 

OK, I meant hyperbiopia or somth. like that, I forgot the term and it
was the first to show up in my mind.
I do understand the differenses.