- better than 80% cure rate!

Strabismus (the medical term for squint) is a very obvious problem that is an endless source of embarrassment. Children with a diverging eye are often subject name calling in school and on the playground. With a wandering eye there is enormous psychological and emotional cost. About 2% of children are born with Strabismus or develop it before the age of two. At present there is no known cause, or to put it simply, nobody knows why some children develop a divergent eye.

By far the most common form of Strabismus is esotropia (from the Greek eso, meaning in) the eye turns in towards the nose. The eye can also turn out (exotropia), up (hypertropia) or down (hypotropia). As soon as the eye turn past the midline of vision the brain starts suppressing all input in order to avoid confusing double images. Physically there is nothing wrong with the eye apart from uncoordinated muscle movements. The root of the problem lies in the way the brain coordinates movement of the eye muscles. The divergent eye often becomes Ambliopic, meaning that it is not possible to correct the vision to better than 20/30 with lenses. Most children have Comitant Strabismus. No matter where they look, the degree of deviation does not change. With Incomitant Strabismus, the divergence depends upon the direction of the eyes.

The preferred medical treatment for Strabismus is surgery where one or more of the eye-muscles are either tightened or weakened. Some doctors believe that surgery should be done before the age of 6 or it is too late. Unfortunately, more than 80% of the children who undergo Strabismus surgery never achieve normal three-dimensional vision. Their eyes may look straight but they are living in a one-eyed world with no depth perception. The optometric approach use bifocal lenses and prisms to correct for the divergence in an attempt to force the divergent eye to be normal.

The Magic eyes vision training approach assumes that the child’s brain is perfectly capable of controlling the eyes. So the focus is on re-educating the brain to change the way it coordinate the child’s eyes. Strabismus is best solved with a mind/body approach. In fact Vision training research shows that 80% of Strabismus cases can be treated successfully with Vision training exercises.

Leo Angart, creator of the Magic eyes program says that it is mind bugling to thing about cutting the eye muscles of a child when there are simple treatments available with better than 80% success rate. No surgery, no trptional case of what appeared to be a miraculous cure of Strabismus happened to Isabella, a 10-year-old girl with large and very pretty eyes. She had been to many eye doctors, all of them recommending surgery. However, Isabella’s mother did not feel right about allowing doctors to cut in her daughter’s eyes. Hearing about Magic eyes from friends, Isabella and her mother traveled for three hours to attend the workshop with Leo Angart.

A miracle happened, after just one exercise Isabella’s eyes were straight. Leo Angart said that this was exceptional usually parents need to practice the Vision training exercise with their children for a few days. Isabella’s mother was flabbergasted; “I thought we had to do exercises for a few months. I am so amazed. I am also thankful that I held out against the doctors who in some cases accused me of being a bad mother because I refused to let them cut Isabella’s eyes. This is a wonderful miracle. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for this miracle.”

Leo asked Isabella what she would say to her doctor. Isabella replied: “I don’t need to see any doctors!

There is a common misconception that Strabismus is caused by a weak eye-muscle. This is nonsense since the brain is in perfect control of the eye. Leo Angart says; try covering the dominant eye and you will see that it is perfectly capable of looking in any direction you want, with perfect control. It is so important that this knowledge get out in the world. We talk about saving whales and other animals. What about do we do about saving children from un-necessary surgery?

Leo Angart created the Magic eyes program in response to the enormous need for effective method to deal with not only Strabismus but also other common vision problems like near-sight (myopia), far-sight (hyperopia), eye-coordination, astigmatism etc. In Europe and North America the prevalence of myopia in school children is about 20%. Vision problems in children have reached crises proportions in many Asian countries. 78% of high school children in Taipei are nearsighted and the situation is similar in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Leo Angart has solid scientific evidence as well as personal experience working with children and adults for many years. “In my experience the normal or near normal vision can be regained. It involves some work on your part.” Says Leo Angart. “For the best results I recommend exercising the eye for one or two minutes at a time.” The Magic eyes program focus not only on the child but also on empowering parents to facilitate the change without the need of expensive visits to a clinic. The exercises are very simple; they are safe to do at home and are designed specifically for correcting Strabismus.

For more information about Magic eyes and Leo Angart’s workshops visit
www.vision-training.com

  ................................................Home

References

Altizer LB. The non-surgical treatment of exotropia. Am OrthoptJ 1972;22:71-6.
Bair DR. Symposium: Intermittent exotropia, diagnosis and incidence. Am Orthoptic J 1952;2:12-17.
Birnbaum MH. Gross motor control and postural characteristics of strabismic patients. J Am Optom Assoc 1974;45:686-96.
Blakemore C, Van Sluyters RC. Experimental analysis of amblyopia and strabismus. Br J Ophthalmol 1974;58:176-182.
Caloroso EE. A sequential strategy for achieving functional binocularity in strabismus. J Am Optom Assoc 1998;59:378-87.
Caloroso EE, Rouse MW. Clinical management of strabismus. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1993.
Chryssanthou G. Orthoptic management of intermittent exotropia. Am OrthoptJ 1974;24:69-72.
Coffey B, Wick B, Cotter S, et al. Treatment options in intermittent exotropia: A critical appraisal. Optom Vis Sci 1992; 69(5):386-404.
Colorado Vision Consultants. Manual of esotropia therapy. Boulder: Colorado Vision Consultants, 1985.

Cooper EL, Leyman IA. The management of intermittent exotropia: A comparison of the results of surgical and non-surgical treatment. Am Orthoptic J 1977;27:61-67.
Cooper J. Intermittent exotropia of the divergence excess type. J Am Optom Assoc 1977;48:1261-1273.
Cooper J, Medow N. Major Review: Intermittent exotropia: Basic and divergence excess type. Bin Vis Eye Muscle Surg 1993;8(3):185-216 Crone RA. Diplopia. New York: American Elsevier Publishing, 1973.
Ciufredda KJ, Kenyon RV, Stark L. Saccadic intrusions in strabismus. Arch Ophthalmol 1979;97:1673-9.
Dale RT. Fundamentals of ocular motility and strabismus. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1982.
Daum KM. Equal exodeviations: Characteristics and results of treatment with orthoptics. Aust J Optom 1984; 67(2):53-9.

Day SH, Norcia AM. Infantile esotropia and the developing visual system. In: Greenwald MJ, eds. Pediatric ophthalmology clinics of North America. Philadelphia: WE Saunders, 1990;3:281-7.
Duke-Elder S, Wybar K. Ocular motility and strabismus. In: Duke-Elder S, ed. System of ophthalmology. Vol. 6. St. Louis: Mosby, 1973.
Etting G. Strabismus therapy in private practice: Cure rates after three months of therapy. J Am Optom Assoc 1978; 49:1367-73.
Flax N. The optometric treatment of intermittent divergent strabismus. Proceedings from the Eastern Seaboard V.T. Conference, Washington, DC, 1963, pp. 52-57.
Flax N, Duckman RH. Orthoptic treatment of strabismus. J Am Optom Assoc 1978;49:1353-61.
Fletcher CF, Silverman SJ. Strabismus. Part I. A summary of 1110 consecutive cases. Am J Ophthalmol 1966;61:86-94.
Flom MC. Issues in the clinical management of binocular anomalies. In: Rosenbloom AA, Morgan, MW; eds. Principles and practice of pediatric optometry. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott, 1990.
Flom MC. Treatment of binocular anomalies of vision. In: Hirsch MJ, Wick RE, eds. Vision of children. Philadelphia: Clinton, 1963:197-228.
Flax N. Strabismus diagnosis and prognosis. In: Schor C, Ciuffreda KF, eds. Vergence eye movements: basic and clinical aspects. Boston: Butrerworths, 1983:579-95.
Flynn JT. Strabismus: A neurodevelopmental approach: Nature's experiment. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1991.
Forrest EB. Treating infant esotropia: A case report. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 1978;55 :463-465.
Frantz KA. The importance of multiple treatment modalities in a case of divergence excess. J Am Optom Assoc 1990; 61(6):457-62.
Garriott RS, Heyman CL, Rouse MW. Case Report: Role of optometric vision therapy for surgically treated strabismus patients. Optom Vis Sci 1997; 74(4):179-84.

Getz DJ. Strabismus and amblyopia. 2nd ed. Santa Ana, California: Optometric Extension Program, 1990.
Gillan RU. An analysis of one hundred cases of strabismus treated orthoptically. Br J Ophthalmol 1945;29:420-8.

Gnibor GP. Practical details in the orthoptic treatment of strabismus. Arch Ophthalmol 1934;12:887-901.
Goldrich SG. Optometric therapy of divergence excess strabismus. AmJ Optom Physiol Opt 1980;57:7-14.
Graham PA. Epidemiology of strabismus. Br J Ophthalmol 1974;58:224-31.
Greenwald I. Effective strabismus therapy. Duncan: Optometric Extension Program, 1979.
Gillie JC, Lindsay J. Orthoptics: a discussion of binocular anomalies. London: The Hatton Press Ltd., 1969.
Griffin JR. Binocular anomalies: procedures for vision therapy. 2nd ed. Chicago: Professional Press, 1982.
Hoffman L, Cohen AH, Feuer G, et al. Effectiveness of optometric therapy for strabismus in a private practice. Am J Optom Arch Am Acad Optom 1970;47:990-5.
Kertesz AE, Kertesz J. Wide-field stimulation in strabismus. AmJ Optom Physiol Opt 1986;63:217-22.
Krumholtz I, FitzGerald DE. Outcome indicators in a strabismic sample treated by vision therapy. J Behav Optom 1999; 10(6):143-6.

Ludlam W. Management of infantile strabismus: research issues and standards of care. J Optom Vis Devel 1993:24:8-14.
Ludlam WM. Orthoptic treatment of strabismus. Am J Optom Arch Am Acad Optom 1961;38:369-88.
Ludlam WM, Kleinman BI. The long range results of orthoptic treatment of strabismus. Am J Optom Arch Am Acad Optom 1965;42:647-84.
McGraw LG. Guiding strabismus therapy. Santa Ana, California: Vision Extension, 1991.
Parks M. Oculomotility and strabismus. In: Duane TD,ed. Clinical ophthalmology. Hagerstown, MD: Harper & Row, 1979:1.
Pickwell D. Binocular vision anomalies. London: Butterworths, 1984.
Pratt-Johnson JA, Tillson G. Management of strabimus and amblyopia: A practical guide. New York: Thieme Medical Publishers, 1994.
Press LJ. Challenging the Adaption. In: Press LJ. Applied Concepts in Vision Therapy. St. Louis: Mosby, 1997.
Press LJ. Topical review: strabismus. J Optom Vis Devel 1991;22:5-20.
Press LJ. Amblyopia and Strabismus. In: Press LJ, Moore BD, eds. Clinical pediatric optometry. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1993.
Sanfilippo S, Clahane AC. The effectiveness of orthoptics alone in selected cases of exodeviation: the immediate results and several years later. Am OrthoptJ 1970;20:104-17.
Selenow A, Ciuffreda KJ. Vision function recovery during orthoptic therapy in an adult esotropic amblyope. J Am Optom Assoc 1986; 57(2):132-40.

Stark L, Ciuffreda KJ, Grisham D, Kenyon RV, Kiu J, Polse K. Accommodative dysfacility presenting as intermittent exotropia. Ophthal Physiol Opt 1984;4:233-244
Von Noorden GK. Binocular vision and ocular motility: theory and management of strabismus. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mosby, 1990.
Von Noorden GK. A reassessment of infantile esotropia. Am J Ophthalmol 1988;105:1-10.
Von Noorden GK, Helveston EM. Strabismus: a Decision Making Approach. St. Louis: Mosby; 1994.
Wick B. Visual therapy for small angle esotropia. Am J Optom PhysiolOpt 1974;51:490-6.
Wick B et al. Characteristics and prevalence of exotropia in clinic populations. Poster Program, American Academy of Optometry, Nashville, TN 1990.
Ziegler D, Huff D, Rouse MW. Success in strabismus therapy: a literature review. J Am Optom Assoc 1982;53:979-83.

  ....................................................Home

 

Menu
Bookmark and Share
Vision training for Strabismus

Strabismus