What is Vision Therapy?
Also called neuro-visual rehabilitation, vision therapy helps those who struggle with how their eyes track and team together. It is comprised of many different types of prescribed activities to treat visual dysfunctions. Over time, the brain develops new neuro-visual (brain-eye) pathways - this allows the visual system to operate with improved visual function, efficiency, and control... and all this leads to less effort, less strain, less symptoms, and happy patients!
Hey Parents!
When reading or doing near work, does your child...
Complain of double vision,
Get headaches,
Rub their eyes,
Complain of eye strain,
Lose their place,
See words coming in and out of focus?
It could be their vision.
Eye Tracking Problems
Binocular Vision Problems
Lazy Eye
Also called, Oculomotor Dysfunction, often times patients with this struggle skip lines and words when reading, or often have to reread material. It can drastically affect school and sports performance as well.
Concussion and
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
The most common binocular dysfunction is Convergence Insufficiency, and it is when the eyes are unable to work together efficiently when looking at near.
These vision problems often cause common symptoms like headaches, eye strain, words that double or move around on the page or come in and out of focus. Although your child may be struggling with these problems, they may not know it is abnormal! Even adults can continue to struggle in their college, work and hobbies.
Lots More...
80% of our brain energy goes into processing visual information! Studies show that over 85% of people who suffer a concussion (even a mild one) or a TBI suffer from one or more visual difficulties that glasses can't fix such as binocular and eye tracking problems, feeling overwhelmed with "too much" visual information, fatigue, avoidance of "busy locations"... and much more can follow the injury. After a concussion or TBI, vision therapy can help regain control of your life and your vision.
Eye Turns
"Eye turn," "wall-eyed," "cross-eyed," "squint"... these all refer to a condition called Strabismus, which is when one or both eyes may be turned in, out, up, or down. It can be all the time, or it can happen sometimes, maybe when you are tired, or sick, or at the end of the day you or your friends/family notice it more often. Eye muscle surgery does not always need to be done and there are additional options that can often be considered.
We diagnose and treat a variety of conditions!
Such as:
-
Reduced Stereopsis
(poor depth perception), -
Suppression of Binocular Vision
(brain actually turns off one eye!) -
Accommodative Dysfunction
(poor eye focusing) -
Visual-Motor Dysfunction
(poor hand eye coordination) -
Visual-Vestibular Dysfunction
(poor balance, dizziness, vertigo) -
Computer Vision Syndrome
-
Poor Peripheral Awareness
-
Visual Processing Dysfunction
-
and more...
Amblyopia is also known as "lazy eye," is when the eyes are healthy but the vision in one or both eyes cannot see normal 20/20 - even with new glasses or contacts!
Often "patching" the eye is recommended, and although this is an okay start, patching doesn't address the real underlying problem.
What people are saying
— Greg
"In the short time that our son has been doing vision therapy, his academics have improved, his sports ability have improved, along with his confidence. He gives Miss Becca 100 stars! The staff is very welcoming and helpful, and the doctor truly does his best for the patient. Very glad we found them all!!!"
Meet
Dr. Rikson Zollinger
Dr. Zollinger has a B.S. degree in Exercise Science and Physiology from Brigham Young University in Utah. At Southern College of Optometry in Memphis Tennessee he received his Doctor of Optometry degree. After graduation he practiced primary care optometry in ND and in 2015 moved to Yakima, WA to practice at a successful vision therapy clinic. In 2017, he moved to Spokane to bring high quality, success-driven vision therapy to Spokane. In March of 2017 he opened his own clinic and he and his team at Inland Vision Therapy have been proud to help and serve the Spokane and surrounding communities!
