HOUSTON, Apr 8, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A U.S. professor of optometry says eye
exercises may help a variety of vision disorders.
Dr. Janice Wensveen of the University of Houston College of Optometry says
patients' reaction to a prescription of eye exercises commonly range between
surprise and relief.
"They're curious, especially when we tell them, instead of putting a Band-Aid on
it like we do with glasses or contact lenses, we're actually going to solve your
problem," Wensveen says in a statement. "You're going to be cured and that's
something we don't very often do."
A typical at home exercise is "pencil push-up therapy," Wensveen says.
"Patients visually follow a small letter on a pencil as they moved the pencil
closer to the nose. The goal is to be able to keep the letter clear and single
until it touches your nose," Wensveen says.
"You can imagine that, in the doctor's office, it sounds great and you can do
it. You think, 'Wow, this can help me?' But you get home and you do it. You
think, 'This is really dumb.' You do it once and you never do it again."
A study by the National Eye Institute found office-based treatment for patients
along with at-home reinforcement, is more effective than home-based programs in
isolation.
URL: www.upi.com
Copyright 2009 by United Press International