Visual (eye) exercises are designed to improve the patients’ ability to see clearly during movement, allowing for an overall increase in balance and stability while moving. Eye exercises are included as a portion of vestibular therapy, which is a very specialized form of physical therapy. A vestibular therapist, under the direction of a physician will develop a set of individualized exercises to address the needs of each patient. As a result, no two patients will have the same exercises or respond to the exercises in the same manner. The goal of visual exercises is to retrain the eyes, and the movements of the eyes, to more effectively communicate with, and in respond to vestibular, somatosensory, and central nervous system (CNS) changes. A better coordination between the four different sensory systems and will increase the likelihood that there will be an alleviation of symptoms.
The exercises listed below are only an example exercises and non-specific to any person or condition, they are only examples for discussion purposes only. The following exercises are helpful for some patients with dizziness. DO NOT use them unless the therapy program has been prescribed by a physician and carried out by a physical therapist. The exercises listed below are only some exercises that will help provide a natural progress to improve visual coordination.
Head Rotation and Gaze Stabilization Exercises
Gaze stabilization exercises or as they are some times referred, vestibulo-ocular reflex training, is used to train the eyes to remain fixed on an object as the patient moves. This is a very practical exercise that correlates with real world activities. As a person moves from one place to anther their head also moves. In a perfect world our eyes will move in an opposite direction of our head to keep our vision stable. However, when the vestibular system or inner ear is not functioning correctly it is impossible to keep your vision stable, resulting in the symptoms associated with dizziness and other vestibular disorders. Through diagnostic testing, EIT physicians can objective evaluate vestibulo-ocular reflex, allowing very specific and individualized exercises to be prescribed to retrain the vestibular system to properly communicate with the eyes. These exercises are generally done with the head moving in two specific directions, either up-and-down or side-to-side, while the eyes remain focused on a target. The speed of the movement is progressive, meaning that one would progress from a slower to faster speed as they can tolerate. Generally movements start at about 2 Hz (2 rotations per second) and progress up to 5-6 Hz (5-6 rotations per second). The number of repetitions and proportion of the exercises will vary based on the specific abnormalities.
The exercises listed below are designed to stimulate the balance sensors within the inner ear. As a result of this stimulation the inner ear becomes challenged, and as a consequence will usually give you the sensation of being dizzy or not balanced. Therefore, these exercises should be done while sitting in a chair or other safe place so that one will not fall if they do become dizzy. The key to these exercises to keep your eyes open and focused on an object. This exercise should be "progressed" to a more difficult level as a person begins to correctly adapt and adjust to the exercises.
Eye and Head Coordination Exercises
This exercise is designed to improve the coordination between eye movements and head movements. The goal is to practice enabling the brain to remember where a target is with the eyes closed. Practice for about 2 - 3 minutes three times a day.
Play this game over and over by going back and forth between the two objects. The goal of this game is to train the brain so that no corrective eye movements are required to "find" the object when the eyes are opened. You should choose other objects as well. Some of these should be close, others far away, some high and some low in the room.
When you are getting better at this exercise try it using objects that you must move your head to see. These of course will be further apart then the first set of objects.
The exercises listed below are only an example exercises and non-specific to any person or condition, they are only examples for discussion purposes only. The following exercises are helpful for some patients with dizziness. DO NOT use them unless the therapy program has been prescribed by a physician and carried out by a physical therapist. The exercises listed below are only some exercises that will help provide a natural progress to improve visual coordination.
Head Rotation and Gaze Stabilization Exercises
Gaze stabilization exercises or as they are some times referred, vestibulo-ocular reflex training, is used to train the eyes to remain fixed on an object as the patient moves. This is a very practical exercise that correlates with real world activities. As a person moves from one place to anther their head also moves. In a perfect world our eyes will move in an opposite direction of our head to keep our vision stable. However, when the vestibular system or inner ear is not functioning correctly it is impossible to keep your vision stable, resulting in the symptoms associated with dizziness and other vestibular disorders. Through diagnostic testing, EIT physicians can objective evaluate vestibulo-ocular reflex, allowing very specific and individualized exercises to be prescribed to retrain the vestibular system to properly communicate with the eyes. These exercises are generally done with the head moving in two specific directions, either up-and-down or side-to-side, while the eyes remain focused on a target. The speed of the movement is progressive, meaning that one would progress from a slower to faster speed as they can tolerate. Generally movements start at about 2 Hz (2 rotations per second) and progress up to 5-6 Hz (5-6 rotations per second). The number of repetitions and proportion of the exercises will vary based on the specific abnormalities.
The exercises listed below are designed to stimulate the balance sensors within the inner ear. As a result of this stimulation the inner ear becomes challenged, and as a consequence will usually give you the sensation of being dizzy or not balanced. Therefore, these exercises should be done while sitting in a chair or other safe place so that one will not fall if they do become dizzy. The key to these exercises to keep your eyes open and focused on an object. This exercise should be "progressed" to a more difficult level as a person begins to correctly adapt and adjust to the exercises.
Eye and Head Coordination Exercises
This exercise is designed to improve the coordination between eye movements and head movements. The goal is to practice enabling the brain to remember where a target is with the eyes closed. Practice for about 2 - 3 minutes three times a day.
- Pick two objects in the room that are far apart but close enough that you can see them without moving your head. It is best if one of these objects is high and the other low. Suitable objects may be a plant, light switch, doorknob, or picture on the wall or other object.
- Next, move your head and eyes so that you are looking directly at one of the objects. Now close the eyes and move the head so that when you open the eyes they will be perfectly positioned on the second object.
- Then, open your eyes and look at the second object. Pay careful attention to where your eyes "looked" at the moment you opened them and note if the eyes have to move "find" the second object.
Play this game over and over by going back and forth between the two objects. The goal of this game is to train the brain so that no corrective eye movements are required to "find" the object when the eyes are opened. You should choose other objects as well. Some of these should be close, others far away, some high and some low in the room.
When you are getting better at this exercise try it using objects that you must move your head to see. These of course will be further apart then the first set of objects.
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