Strabismus Therapy (Crossed Eyes)
What Causes Strabismus?
Each eye has seven muscles, six on the outside of the eyeball and one on the inside. The outside muscles move the eye. The inside muscle keeps things clear. Occasionally, Strabismus is caused by a “damaged” outside eye muscle. Usually, however, an eye deviates because the BRAIN fails to coordinate the twelve out-side-of-the-eyeball muscles to correctly position the two eyes.
The reason for this lack of coordination is, as yet, unknown. Sometimes the condition runs in families. Sometimes a child has many other developmental problems such as poor speech or deficient eye-hand and eye-body coordination and the strabismus seems to be another symptom of this general coordination problem.
Non-Surgical Strabismus Treatment
With Straight Eyes AND 3D Vision!
“Before vision therapy my left eye was stuck over near my nose, and because of that I was very embarrassed and had low self-esteem. My right eye was very tired and both eyes were red all the time. Since therapy, both eyes are straight and clear. I am no longer embarrassed and am happy to interact with other people because I don’t have to worry about what my eye is doing or what they are thinking about my eye.”
3D Vision
How a child looks does not necessarily reflect how the child sees. Often surgery creates a false sense of security: the eyes are cosmetically aligned, but 3D Vision is still poor or absent. For this reason, we recommend a 3D evaluation for all patients who have had strabismus surgery in the past even if the eyes now appear normal.
The brain should combine the information from the two eyes. We call this process fusion. Fusion is the glue that holds the eyes in alignment. The better 3D vision is, the stronger fusion is. Without fusion, strabismus surgery is merely cosmetic, and the need for multiple surgeries increases.
When successful, the latest technologies in 3D strabismus treatment allow drivers to drive, golfers to golf, hitters to hit, and learners to learn: all in a more stable, predictable 3D world.
Non-Surgical Treatment
Our treatments may include glasses and vision therapy: a kind of biofeedback that uses 3D vision to increase eye-brain coordination and align the eyes. If surgery is necessary as part of the treatment, then we refer. Our goal is to decrease the number of surgeries to a minimum and to increase two-eyed coordination and depth perception for easier learning, driving, and sports.
Treatment Age
We work with adults and school-age children. Because vision therapy requires a degree of cooperation and understanding, we typically do not see children under the age of five for in-office vision therapy. Depending on the circumstances, we may see younger children and suggest home activities, but only if the child has already been examined by a pediatric ophthalmologist and the parents are fully committed to working with the child at home.
About Cook Vision Therapy Center
At Cook Vision Therapy Center in Atlanta, we offer non-surgical strabismus therapy with over 30 years of experience helping patients across Georgia. Our goal is to not only straighten eyes but also enhance 3D vision and eye-body coordination for school, work, sports, and driving. We address issues like headaches, eyestrain, and homework frustration while improving reading, self-esteem, and depth perception. Our therapy also focuses on aligning crossed eyes for improved appearance and social confidence, and we help patients, including those recovering from traumatic brain injuries, regain productive and fulfilling lives.
Check Out Our Resources
Dr. Cook’s Publications:
- Authored books VISUAL FITNESS and WHEN YOUR CHILD STRUGGLES.
- Published articles in top optometric journals.
- His article “Eyesight, infinity and the human heart” was voted “Best Non-Technical Article” by the Association of Optometric Editors.
When Your Child Struggles
Visual Fitness
