There are a number of eye doctors who offer programs of eye exercises which they claim will help patients with refractive problems such as astigmatism. Some of them say patients will be able to stop wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses, while others accuse corrective lenses of making vision worse. After dropping a couple of hundred dollars on a new pair of glasses, the idea that some simple exercises can cure astigmatism seems appealing. However, it is important to examine whether or not these claims are true.
Features
The American Vision Institute explains that astigmatism is a general blurring of vision at all distances caused by the eyeball, cornea or inner lens being shaped incorrectly. Severe astigmatism distorts vision to the extent that it is like looking in a carnival mirror. Astigmatism is usually accompanied by other refractive errors such as nearsightedness or farsightedness.
Potential
According to the American Vision Institute, astigmatism can be the result of factors other than permanent deformity. When patients have a head tilt, often caused by neck injury, the eye muscles do not work equally during horizontal scanning so individual muscles become stronger or weaker. Unbalanced eye muscles can pull the eyeball or cornea out of shape, inducing astigmatism. Patients who make a conscious effort to correct their head tilt may allow those muscles to balance, correcting the eyeball or cornea deformity and curing the astigmatism. Even in cases of permanently misshapen eyeballs, they suggest exercise can reduce or eliminate the effects.
Other Viewpoint
Not all vision professionals agree with this school of thought. The Harvard Medical School Family Medical Guide says eye exercises do not help with astigmatism at all. Eye exercises may help with eyes tired from too much close-up work, or from purely muscle-related disorders such as strabismus (crossed-eyes) but will not help refractive problems. They report that no evidence supports the claim that wearing glasses weakens eyesight, and note that the need for stronger prescriptions is a normal consequence of aging.
Considerations
There are qualified experts on both sides of the issue, and both point to research which supports their positions. Time magazine looked at the controversy and said it boils down to different theories on eyeball anatomy. Supporters of eye exercises say the eye muscles can deform the eyeball, while detractors say it cannot. No strong evidence supports either position.
Exercise or Eyeglasses
The controversy may leave you wondering if astigmatism patients should bother trying to improve their vision. At worst, eye exercises do nothing. They don't hurt the eye or make vision worse. If patients find at their next eye exam their prescription has changed, it is possible the eye exercises have been a benefit. If not, no harm done. In short, it may be worth trying eye exercises --- but don't throw away your eyeglasses.
