Is vision therapy worthwhile?

[dplees]

Has anybody ever tired vision therapy? My eyes don't focus very well together and I thought of giving it a try. Seems a bit expensive though - £180 for the initial consultation! although I really don't mind if it's effective.

[Andrew MacLean]

dplees

Are you sure that vision therapy is offered as a response to keratoconus? I looked at it on the www and did not gain that impression.

Vision therapy -- a type of physical therapy for the eyes and brain -- is a highly effective non-surgical treatment for many common visual problems such as lazy eye, crossed eyes, double vision, convergence insufficiency and some reading and learning disabilities.

source: http://www.visiontherapy.org/

Nothing there about KC, and from their description of the therapy that seems to help develop the muscles that focus and co-ordinate the eyes it is hard to see how it could claim to offer any remedy for a physical thinning of the cornea.

Andrew

[dplees]

I get fairly good vision in both eyes with glasses (6/6 and 6/5). However I just find it soooo tough reading. I'm not sure if it's because my eyes dont work together or because i get more glare in the right eye than the left.
I've just started a new job (IT) and the pressure is really on at the moment. I think I would try just about anything!

[Andrew MacLean]

The issue here is what causes your problem with reading. Maybe you just need reading glasses. It is also possible that your KC is developing to the point where you really need lenses, and it is only when trying to focus through the apex of your cone to read text that you realize that there is a problem not being corrected by glasses.

The Vision Therapy people do NOT claim that VT is applicable to KC.

Andrew

[dplees]

If i look at the text with one eye i can read very comfortably, however when i open both eyes together i get problems. For some strange reason i can read from right to left quite easily!

[Lynn White]

Hi there...
Ahhh now I thought you had said you were getting on OK with your glasses now? As you know, I was pretty sure your problems were due to a muscle imbalance between the eyes. This may well be sorted out by adjusting your glasses.

"Vision therapy" is another way of looking at the way your eyes work together. In theory, any optometrist can look at this but its probably best starting with where you got your glasses.

I will pm you.....

[GarethB]

What about sight trainer from the people who do brain training for the Nintendo?

Prior to hand held games I used to look at these pictures called 'Magic Eye'; at first glance it looks like a mass of colour but as you force your focus beyond the picture (basically go slightly boss eyed) a 3D image is revealed. I know post graft this really helped me overcome the sight imbalance.

The brain training has sharpend my mental abilities so I am just waiting for the sight training I've orderd to arrive. £25 is far cheaper than £180 for an initial consultation! For that you can by a Nintendo DS Light, sight trainer and a load more games and have something you can play other games on if the sight trainer dont work

Good meeting you earlier in the week

[dplees]

Thanks Gareth, I'll mention this to Lynn and see what she thinks. Sounds like great justification to buy an Nintendo though!