It is estimated that up to 90% of patients who experience a concussion may encounter some form of vision-related symptoms or problems. Concussions are a common type of brain injury that can cause a range of symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision. While rest and avoiding physical activity are often recommended for concussion recovery, vision therapy can also be a valuable tool in the healing process. In this blog, we’ll explore what vision therapy is and how it can help those recovering from concussions.

How Can Vision Therapy Help with Concussion Recovery?

Following a concussion, the visual system can be disrupted, leading to symptoms such as blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and difficulty with reading and other visual tasks. Vision therapy can help address these issues by retraining the visual system to work more effectively.

Vision therapy for concussion recovery typically involves exercises and activities that focus on:

Eye tracking: the ability to follow a moving object smoothly and accurately

Eye teaming: the capacity of both eyes to work together effectively

Depth perception: the ability to perceive the relative distance between objects

Visual memory: the ability to remember visual information

Visual processing speed: the capacity to quickly and accurately process visual information

Through these exercises, vision therapy can help reduce symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and visual discomfort while improving overall visual function.

The Benefits of Vision Therapy for Concussion Recovery

In addition to enhancing visual function, vision therapy can also offer a range of other benefits for those recovering from concussions. These include:

Faster recovery: by improving visual function, vision therapy can help speed up overall concussion recovery time.

Improved cognitive function: the visual system is closely connected to other cognitive processes, such as attention and memory. By enhancing visual function, vision therapy can also help improve these processes, leading to overall better cognitive function.

Reduced risk of reinjury: if the visual system is not functioning properly, it can increase the risk of falls and other accidents, which can lead to reinjury. Vision therapy can help reduce this risk by improving overall visual function.

Improved quality of life: by reducing symptoms such as headaches and visual discomfort, vision therapy can enhance overall quality of life for those recovering from concussions.

Vision Therapy as a Complementary Treatment for Concussion Related Vision Problems

It’s important to note that vision therapy should not be used as the sole treatment for concussions. Our neuro optometrist will work in tandem with your entire care team to ensure that your treatment is as effective as possible.  

What is Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy is a specialty within optometry whereby the eye doctor, sometimes referred to as functional optometrist or behavioral optometrists, assess vision more comprehensively by looking at more than just the health of the eye, but the entire visual system. Vision therapy is a type of therapy that involves exercises and activities designed to improve the function of the visual system. The visual system includes the eyes, brain, and the connections between them, and is responsible for processing visual information. Vision therapy is often used to treat a range of visual problems, such as lazy eye, double vision, convergence, binocular vision problems and difficulty tracking objects. 

Vision therapy is normally done for a number of months once per week in the office under the supervision of a vision therapist as well as home activities done daily. Vision therapy is customized to each patient and their visual needs and progress during therapy. 

Take Our Online Visual Skills Quiz

Take our online visual skills assessment to help identify if you or your child has a potential visual deficit that may be interfering with success in the classroom, work, or sports:

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Schedule a Functional Vision Exam for Concussion Treatment

If you or someone you know is recovering from a concussion and experiencing visual symptoms, consider visiting our eye doctor to see if vision therapy could be a useful tool in the recovery process. Don’t let visual symptoms slow down your recovery – take action today to get back to your best self. Call us at (360) 491-2121 to schedule a functional vision exam.

Patients with functional vision issues visit our clinic from all over Washington, and we are proud to be a leading provider of functional vision services for patients from Olympia, Lakewood, Tacoma, and Lacey.

Recovering from a concussion can be a challenging and lengthy process, but incorporating vision therapy into your treatment plan can play a vital role in improving your visual function and overall quality of life. By addressing the root causes of visual problems that may arise post-concussion, vision therapy helps enhance your recovery and reduce the risk of reinjury. Schedule a functional vision exam with our eye doctor today to determine if vision therapy is the right choice for you or your loved one during the concussion recovery process.