Does Vision Therapy Work for Concussion?

One of the most prevalent traumatic brain injuries that adults experience is concussions. Commonly caused by falls and motor vehicle accidents, a concussion results in an immediate and temporary disruption of normal brain function.

Along with other conventional treatments for this condition, vision therapy has been shown to provide relief for people with persistent visual or cognitive symptoms due to past or recent traumatic brain injuries.

Read on as a Saginaw, TX optometrist talks about the effects of a concussion and how vision therapy can help speed the recovery process. 

What Is a Concussion?

Concussions are a common brain injury that can occur when the head is hit by another player or object. Approximately 10% of children who play sports will experience a concussion. 

Concussions are not simply bumps on the head—they are actually traumatic brain injuries that can cause symptoms such as: 

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting 
• Memory loss 
• Emotional instability
• Double vision
• Eye strain

Concussions can have long-term effects including depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep issues, and difficulty concentrating or focusing on tasks at hand.

The Widespread Effects of Concussion

When you hear the word “concussion,” you probably think first of an athlete who has been hit in the head and is experiencing dizziness, confusion, headaches, and nausea. While this is certainly one consequence that can result from a concussion, it’s important to understand that concussions can have wide-ranging effects on your body.

Concussions can also cause:

• Cognitive difficulties like difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and problems with attention and concentration.
• Blurry vision
• Sensitivity to light 
• Seeing spots/lights before your eyes 

How Vision Therapy Can Help

Vision therapy is a type of treatment that helps treat problems with the eye and visual system. This treatment approach can be especially helpful for people who’ve had an accident or injury that affected their vision. This includes people who’ve had concussions, brain injuries, or spinal cord injuries.

The goal of vision therapy is to improve your ability to see clearly, read and perform everyday tasks. 

Treatments commonly used include:

• Visual perception training helps you make sense out of what you see in the world around you. For instance, it can help you recognize objects faster and more accurately than before treatment.
• Eye teaming exercises teach you how to coordinate both eyes together so they work together better at seeing things far away and up close. This can help improve reading skills as well as sports performance.
• Visual-spatial processing exercises help you read words and letters, recognize faces and solve visual puzzles. 
• Visual discrimination exercises help you see details clearly and distinguish objects from one another. 

If you have more questions or wish to schedule a consultation, please don’t hesitate to call our Saginaw, TX vision therapy optometry office today!