Page 14 - envision11-2021

Cover Story

V ISION T HER APY

/ Brin is using the Space Fixator to integrate her eye movements with accurate spatial judgment using her peripheral vision to direct her body to move in a coordinated,
relaxed and rhythmic manner. /
“Vision therapy and functional optometry “As a clinician, it’s my responsibility to
take a much deeper dive into the follow the research closely and ensure
operation of the entire visual process. that the conditions I’m treating with
“ As a clinician, We schedule much longer examinations vision therapy are supported by scientific
so we have time to assess, understand evidence. There is an excellent study
and make recommendations to treat the called the “CITT” or “Convergence
it’s my
responsibility visual needs of our patients. This gives us Insufficiency Treatment Trial”, which
the opportunity to affect a patient’s life on provided high-level scientific evidence
to follow the a deeper and more meaningful level.” which clearly showed that office-based

research closely Dr. Jefferies says one element of vision optometric vision therapy is the best
treatment for patients with convergence
and ensure that therapy that motivates her is its ability to insufficiency. As a result, this is a
changes people’s lives. “As an optometrist
condition I treat regularly in my office
the conditions I’m providing these services, I help individuals with vision therapy and with great
treating with a brain injury recover lost visual outcomes.”
skills to help them enjoy life again or
with vision return to work. I’m also privileged to Dr. Ha acknowledges the importance
help children who were struggling
therapy are academically learn to read or write or to of questioning scientific claims. At the
same time, she says, “With respect to
supported by catch a ball and ride a bike.” behavioural/functional optometry, clinical

“ its critics. Some claim there is a lack of say it is now okay (to use) this treatment
scientific While vision therapy is more widely experiences and successful patient
outcomes speak volumes to me. To wait
evidence. accepted than it was in the past, it has for ‘evidence-based research’ in order to
scientific evidence to support behavioural
management approaches, and a paucity
would have benefitted from it before it
of controlled clinical trials in particular. modality (would) deprive patients who
became officially mainstream.”
Dr. Jefferies acknowledges the lack of
randomized, double-blind controlled As well as improving the lives of patients,
clinical trials on vision therapy. vision training represents an attractive
“However, there are many wonderful business opportunity for optometrists
studies and good-quality scientific papers interested in growing their practices and
in the form of retrospective studies, creating multiple revenue streams.
large-scale prospective cohort studies,
interventional studies and case reports Optometrists are looking for ways to
on the impact of vision therapy on visual differentiate their practices, especially
performance.” in Ontario, where the provincial
government has been uncooperative
She routinely offers these studies to with the profession and there has been a

patients who have questions about the withdrawal of service, says Dr. Michelle
success rates and outcomes of vision McKenzie, a Bolton, ON optometrist and
therapy. president of VTC. “Many optometrists

12 / NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2021 / www.ENVISIONMAGAZINE.ca /