Eye Exercises
You may see advertisements for eye exercises in magazines or online. The claims for these eye exercises sound great: a few minutes day will allow you to see clearly without glasses or contacts!
Beware of any organization making such claims. Research has shown that simple eye exercises likely won’t change your vision or the shape of your eye to allow you to see well without glasses or contacts if you require them to see. You should also know it is against the law for a company to make false claims in order to make money.
Some programs claim to offer their secrets to eye exercises for free, while others charge a significant amount of money for their “comprehensive program to allow you to heal your eyes naturally.” Before you sign up, or send any money, for a program offering eye exercises to help you see better, do your research first. Ask for research to back up any claims made. Ask to speak to people who have already used the program. Check with your own eye doctor for his or her recommendations.
There are eye exercises, though, which do help with legitimate medical needs, such as your eyes not working together. These exercises are called “vision therapy.” Vision therapy eye exercises are prescribed by an eye doctor, and you visit the eye doctor on a regular basis to perform the exercises and evaluate your own visual needs. Some eye exercises are prescribed for patients with neurological disorders such as those related to trauma. These eye exercises help reconnect the neural pathways from eyes to the brain. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.