6/132 O'Connell St

North Adelaide
South Australia
5008

0467 303 640

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Variable Working Hours

Weekend and evening appointments available

08 8121 7647

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…but what is vision therapy?

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Are you having eye issues such as double vision, unexplained blur that goes away when you cover one eye or headaches when reading? We can help! Click the Health Engine link in the bottom right hand corner to book or email us.

What is Vision Therapy?

Simply put, it is a tailored course of eye exercises used to strengthen the way the eyes work together and/or improve focussing ability.

Vision therapy is used for those people who are experiencing ‘asthenopic symptoms’ on a regular basis during normal daily activities.

The majority of exercises are practiced at home but there are a few very specific exercises which require some ‘in clinic’ sessions. It is common to find these exercises uncomfortable at first and they may even increase your symptoms however, your symptoms should improve over time. A vision therapy program will begin with simple exercises which progress to more complex exercises as you and your orthoptist feel appropriate.

Asthenopic, what?!

I know, I know, gobbledygook! This is the fancy medical term for eye strain, we use the word because a covers a huge range of possible presentations.

It can present as a huge range of symptoms including:

  • Blurry vision

  • ‘Tired eyes’

  • Sensation of eyes working very hard

  • Headaches

  • Eye pain/discomfort

  • Dry eye sensation

  • Double vision

  • Inability to read comfortably

  • Closing one eye

The list goes on but generally these symptoms are related to asthenopia. The eyes and brain are not comfortable and they need assistance.

How do you treat 'asthenopia'?

This is where vision therapy comes back in, depending on the underlying cause of the eye strain, we need to strength and enhance the control between the eyes with vision therapy.

Our skilled team of orthoptists can thoroughly assess eye position, movement, 3D, and focusing skills to identify areas of weakness. Adelaide Orthoptics stocks a wide range of exercise products for immediate management to begin, plus we always have spares on our website incase you lose your exercise card!

How do I see someone at Adelaide Orthoptics?

At Adelaide Orthoptics we provide a comprehensive service which includes a detailed assessment and a vision therapy program tailored to your specific needs.  We closely monitor your progress to ensure you are able to perform the exercises correctly, get the improvements that we expect to see, and modify exercises to enhance their effect.

We do not require a GP or optometrist referral and offer convenient online booking with weekend and after work appointments available.

More to explore

Stroke and the Eyes

Vision problems post stroke occur in approximately 65% of stroke survivors. These problems can range from visual field loss to problems with eye movements and double vision and can severely impact daily life.

Happy World Orthoptic Day!

A day to celebrate the orthoptic profession, to raise awareness of what we are, who we help and our role in the eye team

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