NORA

Optometric Physicians and Nashville Vision Therapy just got back from the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) conference in Memphis. We came away with a great understanding on how as committed individuals from various disciplines have to come and work together as a team. The rehabilitation for the neurologically-challenged patient needs a team of passionate individuals to build up their system. It was also refreshing the variety of the speakers - OD (Optometrist), OT (Occupational Therapist), PT (Physical Therapist), Chiropractor. It showed that we all can work together and we all need each other to support our patients. No one is better the rest, or more beneficial - we are a team. It was great to be reminded of that.

Stay tuned for more about the NORA conference.

Stroke Rehabilitation and Vision Therapy

Here at Nashville Vision Therapy, we treat many stroke survivors. Our hearts are passionate about helping our stroke survivors gain control and independence in everyday living situations. This subject is on our minds because next week our staff is traveling to Memphis for a conference with NORA.

What is NORA? It stands for Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association. It is a group of committed individuals from various disciplines focus on advancing the art and science of rehabilitation for the neurologically challenged patient. We are excited to learn more about stroke rehabilitation.

After a stroke there can be fear, apprehension and uncertainty that stroke survivors and families face. Much rehabilitation come with the aftermath of a stroke. There are two main means rehabilitation that you may think of, Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT). But there is really is three primary means of rehabilitation, with Vision Therapy included.

National Stroke Association explains it best:
"Many stroke survivors have visual problems following their strokes. To be able to see well, the brain and the eyes have to work together. Because part of the brain is damaged in a stroke, vision problems can be partial or complete loss of sight. Stroke survivors may also experience blurred vision, confusion or difficulty in performing visual activities, and eye strain. For stroke survivors with vision problems, it's harder to go back to work or even perform simple household tasks. As soon as possible after a stroke, stroke survivors should have a complete eye exam to find out if their eyes are healthy. This exam will uncover any stroke-related vision problems. Opthalmologists or optometrists are important members of a stroke patient's rehabilitation team. They can diagnose specific problems and recommend a treatment plan. Different types of vision therapy are available to retrain, strengthen, or sharpen vision following stroke. The goal of the therapy is to train healthy parts of the brain to perform the work of the part of the brain damaged by stroke. According to research, neither the age of the patient nor when the stroke occurred makes a difference in the effectiveness of this type of therapy."

'My child gets vision screenings at school, isn't that good enough?'

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The title of this blog is a question we hear everyday in our office. To answer the question, “No, that isn't enough!” Children need a full comprehensive eye exam as early as six months. I have mentioned this in previous posts but I want to make sure we are on the same page. If you think about it, vision really is more than seeing 20/20. How are the eyes working together? How is your depth perception? How is your coordination? How is the alignment of the eyes? Finally, how are your visual perceptual skills? These are things we look for at Nashville Vision Therapy.

We are not all about a quick fix. We want to get to the root of every issue that we come across with each patient. You’d be amazed to learn what happens when the eyes don't move together - processing information is more difficult, coordination is lacking, hand writing is tiring, daily headaches, and more.

Many parents believe that school vision screenings are sufficient care for their children's eyes, but this is not true. My advice for every parent or guardian is schedule your child a comprehensive eye exam, be in touch with your child’s teachers, and find out where/if your child is struggling.

Let me leave you with this fact - 1 in 4 children have a vision problem that interferes with learning that a school screening does not detect. Let's work together and spread the word about how vision affects learning and have your child receive a comprehensive exam yearly.