Eye Exercises (Bates Method)
Master Baiter
Joined: Nov 1998
Posts: 301
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From: Middle Earth
Hi guys, there is a program called EyeQ that has was developed by a Japanese chappy.
Have heard that either an air force or an airline use it and recommend it. That's as much as I know but I'm sure a google search would bring it up.
Have heard that either an air force or an airline use it and recommend it. That's as much as I know but I'm sure a google search would bring it up.
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 117
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From: lots of different places....
Bizarrely enough, I worked in an engineering office that happened to be located in an airport control tower. With me working on a computer most of the time and looking out of the window at every aircraft that made an approach improved my eyesight to where at my class one renewel I was told if the improvement carries on as it is I'll have no need of glasses within the year. Unfortunately I changed job and I think my vision is backsliding. So I think there is a lot involved in exercising the eyes especially for me.
I'm very interested in what LGB has to say about the reading glasses but forgive my ignorance, what are the +1, +2 etc. references about? Are we talking Dioptas? I can't remember my prescription but can find it as required. But are you saying that all I need to do is wear a pair of reading glasses when working at my computer or reading a book? I assume for mid range i.e. tv just keep the glasses off? At the moment all I wear my glasses for is driving and flying.
I'm very interested in what LGB has to say about the reading glasses but forgive my ignorance, what are the +1, +2 etc. references about? Are we talking Dioptas? I can't remember my prescription but can find it as required. But are you saying that all I need to do is wear a pair of reading glasses when working at my computer or reading a book? I assume for mid range i.e. tv just keep the glasses off? At the moment all I wear my glasses for is driving and flying.
Psychophysiological entity
Joined: Jun 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,383
Likes: 169
From: Walton on the Naze Essex.
Well, I started out fairly clear in my own mind about eye exercises. I'm now totally confused.
About 2 years ago, I mentioned a 20 year old (ish) article in a well known science magazine. It showed micrographs of the human lens and good drawings of the fibrous / muscle supports to the lens. To my dismay, it clearly showed the anchor points on the lens moving inwards with age. This meant that any attempt to strengthen them was futile. At about this time, Mrs R started reading "Better sight without glasses" and found that she was having the first signs of shortsightedness...about halfway through the book! About the only interesting thing about that book was the hint of old English in its prose.
You need to take on board the point raised by a professional earlier in this thread. Roughly speaking, the lens only fine tunes the settings we are blessed with.
Any exercise is good, but all things in moderation. However, I am personally convinced that some people can correct focus by manipulating the large muscles that move the eye. They do in effect, distort the whole eye. I know I do this. The problem is, that this can cause all sorts of eye spasm and resulting pain in extraordinary circumstances. As an aside, it's worth mentioning that I'm sure that my ability to do this stems from early childhood, and a morbid fear of blindness. Rare, but I know I'm not unique.
What I'm trying to get across, in rather a long winded manner, is that in doing these exercises, one can not be sure which muscles are being tugged at. I quite quickly learned to correct for a rather disappointing cataract operation. The - 1.5 can be hauled into sharp focus on demand, and
I'm certainly not reforming the shape of my lens--since it is man made. (Actually, that's not quite true, but the range that I can effect is minute.)
To sum up. By all means go a tad shy of prescription if you feel that this will help, but not for long. Muscles need rest and eyes are no different in this respect. The looking up from the screen to infinity many times a day is a good scenario. If you do not have a window onto infinity, then that is the time to wear the exercising prescription...just for a few moments, then back to the restful lens.
There is essentially no difference to going to the gym, and overdoing it for hours. Gentle stretching and rest is best.
About 2 years ago, I mentioned a 20 year old (ish) article in a well known science magazine. It showed micrographs of the human lens and good drawings of the fibrous / muscle supports to the lens. To my dismay, it clearly showed the anchor points on the lens moving inwards with age. This meant that any attempt to strengthen them was futile. At about this time, Mrs R started reading "Better sight without glasses" and found that she was having the first signs of shortsightedness...about halfway through the book! About the only interesting thing about that book was the hint of old English in its prose.
You need to take on board the point raised by a professional earlier in this thread. Roughly speaking, the lens only fine tunes the settings we are blessed with.
Any exercise is good, but all things in moderation. However, I am personally convinced that some people can correct focus by manipulating the large muscles that move the eye. They do in effect, distort the whole eye. I know I do this. The problem is, that this can cause all sorts of eye spasm and resulting pain in extraordinary circumstances. As an aside, it's worth mentioning that I'm sure that my ability to do this stems from early childhood, and a morbid fear of blindness. Rare, but I know I'm not unique.
What I'm trying to get across, in rather a long winded manner, is that in doing these exercises, one can not be sure which muscles are being tugged at. I quite quickly learned to correct for a rather disappointing cataract operation. The - 1.5 can be hauled into sharp focus on demand, and
I'm certainly not reforming the shape of my lens--since it is man made. (Actually, that's not quite true, but the range that I can effect is minute.)
To sum up. By all means go a tad shy of prescription if you feel that this will help, but not for long. Muscles need rest and eyes are no different in this respect. The looking up from the screen to infinity many times a day is a good scenario. If you do not have a window onto infinity, then that is the time to wear the exercising prescription...just for a few moments, then back to the restful lens.
There is essentially no difference to going to the gym, and overdoing it for hours. Gentle stretching and rest is best.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7
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From: Cape Town
Loose rivets your post has summarised the point very well. In the eyecare profession "eye exercises" are a very important aspect of certain treatment modalities. For example eye exercises for certain types and stages of "squint" (tropias and phorias), amblyopia (lazy eye), convergence insufficiency as well as a range of accommodative disorders are commonplace. Their efficacy is also well researched and scientifically proven.
However, the results of the use of "eye exercises" to try and treat a refractive error such as myopia or hyperopia is not well established. Although exercise techniques may certainly help aid the function of the ciliary muscles controlling the lens; the use of such exercises to treat a refractive problem does not address the aetiology or cause of the problem. Simply, a refractive error such as myopia or hyperopia is essentially due to the eyeball being too long or too short in relation to the power produced by the cornea. Therefore eye exercises will simply not be able to reposition the focal point of light back onto the retina where it should be.
In the case of presbyopia which occurs at around age 45, where one tends to need reading glasses, the cause of this is very different. A review of the mechanisms of accommodation and the development of presbyopia indicate it unlikely that a loss of strength of the ciliary muscle in the eye is the cause of presbyopia. On the contrary in fact, the literature demonstrates that the muscles in the eye are actually stronger at age 50 than they were at age 15 thereby negating any theory that the muscles get weaker as one gets older. Rather, the flexibility of the lens in the eye is reduced due to its increased growth throughout life as well as lens sclerosis. Another aspect is that because the lens continues to grow throughout life, there is less and less space available around the lens for the muscles to exert their mechanical traction and therefore accommodation is reduced. This loss in accommodation takes place throughout life (commensurate with the growth of the lens) and the rate of change is well established scientifically.
To sum up, eye exercises are a very useful treatment option for certain indicated eye disorders. But there is little scientific evidence to suggest that eye exercises offer any improvement for purely refractive errors or presbyopia.
However, the results of the use of "eye exercises" to try and treat a refractive error such as myopia or hyperopia is not well established. Although exercise techniques may certainly help aid the function of the ciliary muscles controlling the lens; the use of such exercises to treat a refractive problem does not address the aetiology or cause of the problem. Simply, a refractive error such as myopia or hyperopia is essentially due to the eyeball being too long or too short in relation to the power produced by the cornea. Therefore eye exercises will simply not be able to reposition the focal point of light back onto the retina where it should be.
In the case of presbyopia which occurs at around age 45, where one tends to need reading glasses, the cause of this is very different. A review of the mechanisms of accommodation and the development of presbyopia indicate it unlikely that a loss of strength of the ciliary muscle in the eye is the cause of presbyopia. On the contrary in fact, the literature demonstrates that the muscles in the eye are actually stronger at age 50 than they were at age 15 thereby negating any theory that the muscles get weaker as one gets older. Rather, the flexibility of the lens in the eye is reduced due to its increased growth throughout life as well as lens sclerosis. Another aspect is that because the lens continues to grow throughout life, there is less and less space available around the lens for the muscles to exert their mechanical traction and therefore accommodation is reduced. This loss in accommodation takes place throughout life (commensurate with the growth of the lens) and the rate of change is well established scientifically.
To sum up, eye exercises are a very useful treatment option for certain indicated eye disorders. But there is little scientific evidence to suggest that eye exercises offer any improvement for purely refractive errors or presbyopia.
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 69
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From: the one less travelled
while I understand what's being said about the causes of myopia related to length of eyeball etc, I do think there's two differences in causes of these conditions, one I (as a layman and reading the above) believe to be physiological and one to be environmental.
I can't say and have never been told by an optician (don't know if they can) whether my fault is through these cillary muscles or a change in eyball shape/length.
But I sit a computer all day, and until recently all while wearing glasses for distance. This must have a detrimental effect on eyesight surely as I know the position I take at my desk caused a minute lengthening of the muscle across the back, which delayed the healing of a shoulder injury due to alignment.
So why not the eye also??
I can't say and have never been told by an optician (don't know if they can) whether my fault is through these cillary muscles or a change in eyball shape/length.
But I sit a computer all day, and until recently all while wearing glasses for distance. This must have a detrimental effect on eyesight surely as I know the position I take at my desk caused a minute lengthening of the muscle across the back, which delayed the healing of a shoulder injury due to alignment.
So why not the eye also??
Psychophysiological entity
Joined: Jun 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,383
Likes: 169
From: Walton on the Naze Essex.
Indeed. It's all very interesting stuff, but very difficult to know what is going on sometimes. The telemetry from the spine is complex, but nothing compared to the brains ability to gather information from the eyes.
People with poor eyesight are able to do things that a linear logic of visual performance would prohibit. The brain works round all sorts of difficulties. It is how it does it that causes other problems sometimes.
I am personally convinced that the brain can use the extra-ocular muscles to facilitate focusing, but I haven't really made much effort to find any published work on this phenomenon.
People with poor eyesight are able to do things that a linear logic of visual performance would prohibit. The brain works round all sorts of difficulties. It is how it does it that causes other problems sometimes.
I am personally convinced that the brain can use the extra-ocular muscles to facilitate focusing, but I haven't really made much effort to find any published work on this phenomenon.
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 90
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From: Back in the UK from the Sunshine Island for the last 8 years.
For anyone considering lasik surgery I would recommend a google search for INTACS. I am no expert but understand that the FAA medics allow a return to work in less than a week. Briefly 2 crescent-shaped plastic "interior contact lens" segments inserted under surface of the conjunctiva (surface material); they can be changed if the eye presription subsequently alters or removed if for any reason you don't like them, and the eyebll returns to its original state. No loss of eye material involved and as the eye is one of the fastest-healing parts of the bod no probs after a couple of days and the FAA like it!
Anyone out there had it done?
Anyone out there had it done?
Last edited by sailor; 1st February 2006 at 11:18.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,479
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From: Surrey Hills
Sailor said in part ...
"Anyone had it done?" [Lasik surgery INTACS]
Aviate 1138 asks....
How many laser eye surgeons have had it done to them???
Must say the new technique sounds very neat and tempting!
Aviate 1138
"Anyone had it done?" [Lasik surgery INTACS]
Aviate 1138 asks....
How many laser eye surgeons have had it done to them???
Must say the new technique sounds very neat and tempting!
Aviate 1138
