Vision Therapy Can Help Treat Your Symptoms From a Traumatic Brain Injury

Neuro optometric rehabilitation is a specific type of vision therapy that treats vision conditions caused by a neurological disorder, including traumatic brain injuries. This is an essential part of the rehabilitation and healing process which must not be overlooked after a traumatic brain injury.

Find out if you need to see an optometrist by taking the Double Vision Quiz

Understanding Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

Neuro-optometric rehabilitation is a form of vision therapy which helps the patient strengthen the visual skills they need to perform regular daily activities and achieve an improved quality of life. In particular, neuro-optometric rehabilitation focuses on helping patients who are suffering from vision issues caused by a traumatic brain injury (such as a car accident or a stroke).

Neuro-optometrists are specially trained to diagnose and treat the vision problems caused by traumatic brain injuries, as well as those stemming from neurological conditions.

What Sort of Conditions Can Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Treat?

As mentioned above, neuro-optometric rehabilitation can treat vision issues stemming from a wide range of traumatic brain injuries. Below is a list of several examples. If you have experienced any of the following incidents, schedule a functional vision evaluation with one of our neuro-optometrists to determine if your vision issues can be treated via neuro-optometric rehabilitation.

Motor vehicle accidents
Sports collisions
Strokes and other cerebrovascular accidents
Physical violence

What Sort of Conditions Can Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Treat?

What Vision Issues Can Traumatic Brain Injuries Cause?

Traumatic brain injuries can lead to a wide range of vision issues which can impact one’s quality of life. While many of these vision issues can also be caused by other problems, when they are caused by traumatic brain injuries they are likely not problems with the eyes themselves, rather with the brain-eye connection. These symptoms include:

Blurred vision
Double vision
Decreased peripheral vision
Difficulty focusing the eyes or controlling eye movement
Vision loss in one or both eyes
Eye strain
Light sensitivity
Difficulty focusing on tasks
Motion sensitivity
Visual memory loss
Headaches or eye pain

How do Traumatic Brain Injuries Affect Vision?

We receive a huge percentage of our sensory information via the eyes. But the visual system extends beyond the eyes, to the brain, which has to properly receive and then interpret this information.

Traumatic brain injuries can interfere with this important flow of information, leading to vision issues even if the eyes themselves are undamaged by whatever caused the traumatic brain injury.

Important Questions About Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

What is the Treatment Process?

If a patient is suffering from a vision issue following a traumatic brain injury, the first step is a comprehensive eye exam so the neuro-optometrist can get a sense of the overall health of the eyes. Following this, and a review of any medical documentation from other medical care professionals who have been providing treatment in other areas, the neuro-optometrist will perform a neuro-visual assessment to pinpoint the exact conditions present, at which point a personalized treatment plan can be crafted.

How Long Does Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Take to Work?

There is no hard answer to this question, as a lot depends on the nature of the problem, which is different in every case.

What you can expect is to see some level of improvement fairly quickly, though one should not expect a complete turnaround overnight. Neuro-optometric rehabilitation is a gradual process, and it takes time to retrain the eyes and brain to work together in the way they should--especially if the problem(s) caused by the injury are severe.

Additionally, proper compliance with the treatment measures is vital in order to see the proper results. While much of the rehabilitation is done in office, there may be exercises to perform at home, and the patient must be vigilant about doing them.

Summary

Neuro-optometric rehabilitation is a form of vision therapy aimed at correcting vision issues caused by traumatic brain injuries (such as car accidents, sports injuries, and strokes) and neurological disorders. These injuries can impact the brain-eye connection and lead to several types of vision problems even though the eyes themselves may be functioning normally. Neuro-optometric vision therapy is a highly individualized treatment that helps retrain the patient’s eyes and brain to work together properly, so that they can regain the same level of functionality and quality of life they had before the injury.

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Testimonials

I haven't actually used the optometrist side, so my review is limited to the vision therapy offered. This office was recommended by my occupational therapist for the treatment of my double vision following a stroke.

Claire A.

Love this location. I had a brain injury accident from day one one. All the team make you feel you still important and hope in the horizon after when the medical system fell you miserably. Dr. Ikeda very professional and very understanding about your issue. Two tombs up.

Jim K.

My husband and I were immediately impressed with Dr Ikeda. I was hit by a car while cycling which caused broken bones and three brain injuries. The brain injuries caused double vision. Dr. Ikeda examined my eyes and got me started on vision therapy with his occupational therapist who specializes in vision therapy. She (Chris) is absolutely great. I am impressed with the array of tools used to help recover my binocular vision. I am doing things I never thought were possible (balance boards etc). Chris pushes me and keeps me motivated. I really enjoy my sessions with her. The office staff is always friendly and they have a wonderful appointment reminder tool that makes it easy to keep my calendar up to date. I am happy the rehab center at Little Co. of Mary recommended them!!

Teresa S.

The Vision Therapy is handled in a separate office through a different door from the shared waiting room. Chris, the vision therapist, has a wide and varied assortment of tools, equipment and resources to best evaluate and treat most vision issues. After just a few visits, my double vision became easier to control, using exercises developed during the therapy process. It was time well-spent.

Joe M.

I have been coming here since I can remember. I love it here. The staff is so amazing and nice. They explain everything they gonna do and never make you feel rushed. Dr. Ikeda has always been my doctor and I would never want another one. He is the doctor for my whole family and is always asking how everyone is doing. I am also so crazy about picking out my frames and have to try so many and each person who helps me take the time and lets me try them all on. I would never want to go anywhere else! I definitely would recommend this office to anyone looking for a great eye doctor.

Kayla W.

This is not for the eye exam but for the frames selection portion. I brought my prescription from Kaiser here with my VSP insurance. The reception staff was very polite and professional. Manny helped me to pick out frames and explain my coverage. Very helpful and patient not like the individual at the other place I rated here on Yelp. I was running late and he still helped me and was not bothered at all. I am so glad I came here ..........very pleased.

Very professional staff and pleasant.