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Why should a concussion patient consider vision therapy?

VIP at Willowbrook is a referral source for the major concussion centers in the greater Pittsburgh and surrounding areas as well as many other health care professionals including UPMC, Excela Health, concussion specialists, and vestibular therapists.  Collaboratively, we have helped hundreds of patients with their rehabilitation.

Acquired brain injuries resulting from traumatic incidents such as a concussion or head trauma can alter your body’s normal function. Whether the symptoms are mild or severe, they can present themselves in a myriad of ways, from behavioral changes to physical ailments, disabilities, and visual impairments.

All of your senses play an intricate role in the normal functioning of your body. However, due to the close relationship between the brain and vision, concussions can disrupt the normal processing of visual information and greatly hinder the progress of your concussion rehabilitation.

Common symptoms indicating a vision problem include (but are not limited to):

  • Blurry vision
  • Photophobia (light sensitivity)
  • Diplopia (double vision)
  • Peripheral vision restrictions
  • Balance issues
  • Memory/concentration issues
  • Problems with comprehension
  • Headache pain increasing with visual demand
  • Pressure in your head
  • Lack of progress in impact testing

Vision care professionals can play a vital role in the rehabilitation efforts of acquired brain injuries.  A thorough binocular vision examination by a trained eye care professional can help accelerate your rehabilitation by identifying and treating the hidden visual problems that persist after your injury. An individualized treatment program can then be formulated to eliminate each individual’s specific symptoms. Treatment often involves vision therapy, which helps to strengthen the muscles in your eyes, so that they work together as a team. As a result, your abilities to track smoothly, focus adequately, and process visual information efficiently will be enhanced. 

If you are suffering with a concussion, call VIP at Willowbrook at 724-216-9049 and schedule an evaluation to see if vision therapy can benefit you.

 

Testimonials from Concussion Patients

Parents/patients answer the question, "Do you feel vision therapy played a significant part in your concussion recovery?"

"Yes. Thank you all for helping me tremendously in my recovery process. I was suffering due to my concussion and everyday activities became a struggle. The process was difficult, but with your assistance, I am better than I was before. I can finally get back to reading and preparing for my future. Thank you for being a part of my success."

"Vision therapy gave me a piece of my life back. My desire for reading and the ability to comprehend material has improved significantly. Vision therapy has helped me regain confidence I had lost since my accident. It was definitely worthwhile and the therapists and doctors were very caring and helpful."

"Vision therapy made a significant improvement in my daughter's ability to do daily activities without headaches. I am 100% pleased with vision therapy because it helped her get back to her normal life, headache-free, when nothing else was working."

"Yes, I can do so many things that I couldn't before and the headaches are gone. I enjoy reading now, and I don't have to reread to understand."

"Yes, I do. I can understand what I read a lot more than I used to and my memory is amazingly better. I am very thankful that I have gotten such a great help and do believe it has improved my eyes."

"Yes, because I feel like I did before the concussion. I enjoy reading a little bit more and I comprehend better."

"Very much so. I have noticed a drastic improvement with my eye movements and my eyes working together. I have less headaches and no blurriness. I am now able to read without headaches and complete daily tasks within a reasonable amount of time."

"Yes, without vision therapy. I would have continued to struggle in school in my ability to focus and comprehend what I was doing. I have been able to understand my reading material and actually enjoy it instead of looking at it like a chore. I am also able to concentrate 100 times better than before. This allowed me to get a lot more work done in less time."

"Vision therapy has helped my daughter feel confident that she has recovered from her concussion. She is using techniques she has learned at vision therapy to help her study and remember what she studied. She instantly saw improvements and I think she has learned things that she can use all her life.