Many common eye conditions, such as lazy eye, crossed eyes, and eye strain related to prolonged reading,
computer work, or other up-close work can be successfully treated with vision therapy. Even sports
performance can be enhanced with vision therapy. Vision therapy is a type of physical therapy for the
eyes that involves a series of office visits and home exercises under the eye doctor's supervision that can
help your eyes function better and improve eye-brain and hand-eye coordination. In the case of learning
disabilities, vision therapy is specifically directed toward resolving visual problems which interfere with
reading, learning and educational instruction. Athletes, especially those involved in sports requiring
excellent hand-eye coordination, such as baseball, tennis, and golf, for example, have benefited from
vision therapy. At Pacific Vision Institute we have been working with the scientists of the Gemstone
Foundation (www.gemstonefoundation.org) on utilizing internet-based program that patients can do at
home to improve their vision performance.
What's new in vision correction procedures
The National Aeronautics and Space agency (NASA) has approved the all-laser LASIK for use on U.S.
astronauts. The recent NASA decision was made following review of extensive military clinical data using
IntraLase femtosecond laser and wavefront technology, which showed the combination of technologies
provides superior safety and vision. Approved for patients almost a decade ago, more that 11 million
LASIK procedures have been performed to-date, making it the most common elective surgical procedure
in the U.S. But it wasn't until LASIK developed into an all-laser procedure that NASA approved it for use
on pilots, mission and payload specialists who face extreme, physically demanding conditions in space.
The all-laser LASIK technologies, which utilize wavefront guided and femtosecond lasers, have also been
cleared for U.S. military personnel, including most recently Air Force pilots.
Tech Corner
Lens replacement surgery can help presbyopic patients who had laser vision correction such as LASIK
and PRK improve their near vision. A variety of lens inlays are available to customize distance and
near vision depending on each patient's lifestyle and work requirements. A combination of inlays can
also be used to improve vision in all distances - driving, computer, and reading. Accurate pre-operative
lens measurements are required to achieve the best results. A life-time of good vision is now a reality.
Fun Eye Facts
Researchers at the University of Rochester have shown that people who played action video games for
a few hours a day over the course of a month improved by about 20 percent in their ability to
identify letters presented in clutter-a visual acuity test similar to ones used in regular eye clinics. The
students were given a crowding test, which measured how well they could discern the orientation of a
"T" within a crowd of other distracting symbols-a sort of electronic eye chart. Students were then divided
into two groups. The experimental group played Unreal Tournament, a first-person shoot-'em-up action
game, for roughly an hour a day. The control group played Tetris, a game equally demanding in terms
of motor control, but visually less complex. After about a month of near-daily gaming, the Tetris players
showed no improvement on the test, but the Unreal Tournament players could tell which way the "T" was
pointing much more easily than they had just a month earlier. Interestingly, the students' vision
improved not only in the center, but also at the periphery where they had not been "trained."
415.922.9500
Eye Health
Many common eye conditions, such as lazy eye, crossed eyes, and eye strain related to prolonged reading,
computer work, or other up-close work can be successfully treated with vision therapy. Even sports
performance can be enhanced with vision therapy. Vision therapy is a type of physical therapy for the
eyes that involves a series of office visits and home exercises under the eye doctor's supervision that can
help your eyes function better and improve eye-brain and hand-eye coordination. In the case of learning
disabilities, vision therapy is specifically directed toward resolving visual problems which interfere with
reading, learning and educational instruction. Athletes, especially those involved in sports requiring
excellent hand-eye coordination, such as baseball, tennis, and golf, for example, have benefited from
vision therapy. At Pacific Vision Institute we have been working with the scientists of the Gemstone
Foundation (www.gemstonefoundation.org) on utilizing internet-based program that patients can do at
home to improve their vision performance.
The National Aeronautics and Space agency (NASA) has approved the all-laser LASIK for use on U.S.
astronauts. The recent NASA decision was made following review of extensive military clinical data using
IntraLase femtosecond laser and wavefront technology, which showed the combination of technologies
provides superior safety and vision. Approved for patients almost a decade ago, more that 11 million
LASIK procedures have been performed to-date, making it the most common elective surgical procedure
in the U.S. But it wasn't until LASIK developed into an all-laser procedure that NASA approved it for use
on pilots, mission and payload specialists who face extreme, physically demanding conditions in space.
The all-laser LASIK technologies, which utilize wavefront guided and femtosecond lasers, have also been
cleared for U.S. military personnel, including most recently Air Force pilots.
Lens replacement surgery can help presbyopic patients who had laser vision correction such as LASIK
and PRK improve their near vision. A variety of lens inlays are available to customize distance and
near vision depending on each patient's lifestyle and work requirements. A combination of inlays can
also be used to improve vision in all distances - driving, computer, and reading. Accurate pre-operative
lens measurements are required to achieve the best results. A life-time of good vision is now a reality.
Researchers at the University of Rochester have shown that people who played action video games for
a few hours a day over the course of a month improved by about 20 percent in their ability to
identify letters presented in clutter-a visual acuity test similar to ones used in regular eye clinics. The
students were given a crowding test, which measured how well they could discern the orientation of a
"T" within a crowd of other distracting symbols-a sort of electronic eye chart. Students were then divided
into two groups. The experimental group played Unreal Tournament, a first-person shoot-'em-up action
game, for roughly an hour a day. The control group played Tetris, a game equally demanding in terms
of motor control, but visually less complex. After about a month of near-daily gaming, the Tetris players
showed no improvement on the test, but the Unreal Tournament players could tell which way the "T" was
pointing much more easily than they had just a month earlier. Interestingly, the students' vision
improved not only in the center, but also at the periphery where they had not been "trained."