What is Vision Therapy?

Vision Therapy is physical therapy for the eyes and brain.  It is important not to forget the brain's role in vision.  In fact, we actually see with our brains not with our eyes.  For a detailed description, click on the "What is Vision Therapy" link to the left. Or, simply click here:

Are "orthoptics" and Vision Therapy the same thing?

Orthoptics, which means "straightening of the eyes", goes back to the nineteenth century and was limited to eye muscle training and cosmetic straightening of the eyes.  Vision Therapy includes orthoptics but has advanced far beyond the limited scope of orthoptics.  Vision Therapy includes training and rehabilitation for the eye-brain connections involved in vision.  There are many connections between the scientific developments in Vision Therapy and those in neuroscience.

What is the difference between an optometrist and an opthalmologist?

There are two kinds of eye doctors: optometrists and opthalmologists.  An optometrist is a doctor of optometry (OD) who diagnoses and treats problems of the visual system.  Some optometrists specialized in vision therapy.  An opthalmologist is a doctor of medicine (MD) who specializes in surgery and diseases of the eye.

Why do some opthalologists and their organizations claim that vision therapy does not work?

Opthalmologists are not trained in non-surgical treatments for vision disorders.  Therefore, they naturally are not fully aware of non-surgical treatments such as vision therapy for conditions like strabismus.  This problem was the subject of a worldwide study by Dr. Paul Romano, MD, editor of the journal Eye Muscle Surgery Quarterly.  Dr. Romano asked surgeons around the world whether they were in favour of a surgical or non-surgical treatment of intermittent extropia (a form of strabismus).

In the international group of doctors, 85% were in favour of non-surgical treatments.  However, in the American group, only 52% of doctors were in favour of non-surgical treatments.  Dr. Romano proposed three reasons for why there was this difference:

1. Insurance companies and single-payer systems outside the USA have stricter medical standards in regards to approving payment of eye muscle surgery.  Also, they do not pay as well fro eye muscle surgery as insurance companies in the USA.

2.  Non-surgical therapy isn't as economically rewarding for the surgeon as surgery .

3.  Due to his lack of training in the area, the surgeon is reluctant to acknowledge the benefits of non-surgical treatment for fear of loosing patients.

Are optometrists or opthalmologists the ultimate authorities on eye care and vision therapy?

The public needs to be aware that opthalmologists are not the ultimate authorities in all areas of visual health.  Opthalmologists are excellent surgeons and knowledgeable authorities on eye disease.  However, as a rule, they are not well informed about vision care subjects such as visual processing, convergence insufficiency, accommodation and vision therapy.  In fact, many opthalmologists agree with this.

For example, in the journal, Transactions of the American Opthalmological Society, surgeon and researcher Dr. David Guyton wrote that, "[opthalmologists] have probably abdicated the study of accommodation and convergence to the optometric profession.  A perusal of the literature with reveal that most of the advances in this area are being made in the optometric institutions by vision scientists who use definitions and terms with which we are not even familliar." 

Opthalmologists, while excellent surgeons, are not trained in and do not have expertise in vision therapy and many who criticize vision therapy simply have not done their homework.  Optometrists who specialize in vision therapy are the most credible authorities on vision therapy and developmental vision.

 

How long has Dr. Randhawa been doing vision therapy?

Seven years.

Will my family doctor be able to talk to me about vision therapy?

Probably not.  Your family doctor spends four years in medical school (following four years of undergraduate education) learning about the body and its systems generally.  Optometirists spend four years in optometry school (following four years of undergraduate education) concentrating on the eyes, vision, and vision disorders.  Therefore,  optometrists are the experts in vision science.  If you have a family optometrist, that doctor will be able to talk to you about vision therapy and we encourage you to speak to your optometrist. 

What is Dr. Randhawa's success rate with vision therapy?

100% of Dr. Randhawa's patients have experienced improved vision, ocular motor skills, and visual processing.  This is due to a  number of factors.  Dr. Randhawa does not recommend vision therapy unless there is a very strong likelihood of seeing improvement in the patient.  It is also due to the fact that vision therapy is a very effective treatment for the visual problems and ocular motor disorders for which Dr. Randhawa prescribes it.