Vision therapy has been considered a controversial treatment for individuals with ADHD but more and more research is showing that there is in fact a connection between vision problems and ADHD. In early 2009 a group of Optometrists in England evaluated several programs claiming to improve visual, mental, neurological, academic, and behavioral problems. They concluded that patients with convergence insufficiency were improved by vision improve vision therapy.
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Children diagnosed with ADHD have a three fold increase in the incidence of Convergence Insufficiency as compared to controls and a two fold increase in the incidence of visual tracking problems. This may be related to a hyper responsive superior colliculus. The superior colliculus (SC) is a brain structure which is involved in the control of distractibility and of eye and head movements. Some researchers have proposed that in ADHD, the colliculus is hyper-responsive, which causes inattention and distractibility. Could the hyper-responsive SC also be causing the problems with convergence and tracking??
When my son who has primarily inattentive ADHD was seven years old we took him to an Occupational Therapist (OT) His teachers were concerned because his handwriting was horrible and his gross motor skills were not great. They wanted me to make certain that these problems were not related to an OT issue. The OT spent about 1 minute with him and then came to tell me that he had something 'wrong' going on with his eyes. She felt that his handwriting problems and gross motor problems were related to a convergence insufficiency and referred us to a Developmental Optometrist.
The Optometrist gave him a very thorough evaluation and determined that he had tracking delays and convergence problems. He also reported that my son was cross dominant. This happens, according to the optometrist, when you are right handed but your dominant eye is the left eye (or vice versa).
My did not have dyslexia, according to the Optometrist, but it was his cross dominance and convergence issues that caused him to write the number '9' when he meant to write a 'P' and to write the number '3' when he meant to write an 'E'. The evaluation took 4 hours and resulted in our getting a mountain of exercises that we had to do with him at home.
The exercises involved tracking letters in a newspaper, reading from materials that were near and far in a rapid manner, and what I call eye aerobics, where he had to look up, down, and all around, over and over again
After about 3 months of doing this. His tracking was faster, his letter reversals were much better, and his handwriting was better. I believe that it is possible that, just like with biofeedback, we can train our eyes to perform better. If there is an eye/attention connection maybe training the eye could in some way help with attention.
Some folks have proposed that the increased attention which results from taking a stimulant is cause by the depression of activity in the colliculus. Could there possibly be some visual therapy that would, like stimulants, calm that hyper-responsive colliculus and in the process increase out attention? Current ophthalmology research may provide answers to some of these questions.
There is a natural healthy solution to glaucoma, cataracts and all eye problems, Keep your eyes healthy and fit with natural health eye care. Vision can be obtained naturally. Learn the cause of glaucoma, cataracts, astigmatism and all other eye problems. Learn how you can restore your vision to normal using a completely natural process of physical therapy for the eyes.
There is a way to keep your eyes healthy and fit, even if you have glaucoma, or cataracts along with whatever reason you originally went into glasses for, such as myopia (near sightedness), presbyopia (farsightedness), astigmatism or any other eye problem.
If your vision is 20/20 and the demands on your eyes are not causing you physical strain and discomfort in your eyes, head, neck and back, then you have healthy eyes. If you are not seeing clearly and experience getting stronger and stronger lenses every year or two then you need to consider a healthier alternative.
If you look around you and in care homes, you will find that the "Golden Years" are not so "Golden". So many older people have glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, ptosis (drooping eyelid), etc. Most all of these conditions are a result of stress which causes lack of functioning and circulation over time. This condition over a period of time causes deterioration.
Dr. Wm. H. Bates, ophthalmologist, pioneered vision therapy in the early 1900's. He discovered the cause and the cure of vision problems. He discovered that tension in the mind interfered with the involuntary focusing muscles of the eye. In the normal eye whether you look near or far, the eye automatically focuses where you put your attention. This is called eye-mind coordination. We see with our mind first directing our attention. Vision is 9/10 mental and 1/10 physical. The eyes are tools of the mind.
Just as ulcers and heart attacks are caused by prolonged stress (psycho somatic illness), so is the vision affected by stress. These stresses are always accompanied by moving, changing schools, a divorce, a death, career changes, a difficult relationship. These changes create stress and an element of the unknown which evokes fear. This fear is usually repressed as a survival mechanism and never dealt with again.
As opposed to a medical or mechanical approach, This all natural physical therapy eye training is based on the principle of relaxation. It teaches specific techniques and skills for relaxing mental stress, releasing muscle tension and restoring muscle flexibility. It releases the strain that keeps you from seeing clearly and re-educates the mind and body in good seeing habits. It is easy, safe, fun and it's for everyone, regardless of age or strength of glasses (prescription).
This physical therapy for the eyes is a process that allows the muscles to return to functioning and therefore a healthy state allowing good circulation. The benefits are tremendous stress reduction on the autonomic nervous system. Dr. Bates says, "All vision problems are nerve problems". So the solution to glaucoma, cataracts and all eye problems is dealing with the cause and restoring eyes to a healthy condition. Healthy eyes do not have eye problems or in the golden years eye diseases. This all natural physical therapy teaches you how to have fit and normal vision again and to keep your eyes healthy and fit for the rest of your life. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.