Oculomotor dysfunction following a traumatic brain injury, stroke, or neurological condition can affect your ability to engage in your daily activities. A targeted treatment plan that includes oculomotor exercises therapy in Marco Island can help you recover your focus and ocular mobility.
The physical therapists at Naples Community Injury Center can create a personalized treatment plan based on proven oculomotor exercise methods to help you on your journey to recovery.
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Common Causes and Signs of Oculomotor Dysfunction
The oculomotor nerve serves as a conduit between your brain and your eyes. When the nerve suffers damage, you may have trouble focusing or keeping your eyes open. Oculomotor dysfunction often arises due to a brain injury, stroke, or neurological condition, but can be associated with numerous health issues, including:
- Stroke or aneurism
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Traumatic brain injury
- Brain swelling or cranial bleeding
Oculomotor dysfunction is often a symptom of a more serious issue, so you benefit from seeking medical attention as soon as possible. Immediate treatment coupled with a targeted physiotherapy regimen can help you recover some or all of your natural eye movement.
Symptoms Associated With Oculomotor Dysfunction
Oculomotor nerve dysfunction affects the eyes in ways you may not expect. The effects can be confusing and easy to overlook. Watch for the following signs if you experienced a head injury or other neurological damage:
- Moving your head to read or track moving objects
- Headaches and eye strain
- Difficulty reading and scanning written material
- Inability to track moving objects with your eyes
- Compromised hand-eye coordination
- Balance issues and motion sickness
- Problems with special orientation and depth perception
Targeted Marco Island Oculomotor Exercises Therapy
The oculomotor nerve handles pupillary dilation, visual fixation, and visual tracking. When the nerve’s function is compromised, you may find it difficult to perform daily activities, such as reading, driving, or working.
Fortunately, studies show that focused oculomotor exercises can help improve your visual functions and even return your vision to its previous state. At Naples Community Injury Center, we specialize in neurological rehabilitation, including oculomotor dysfunction.
Our dedicated team of medical professionals can create a personalized exercise regimen to strengthen your eye muscles and reestablish visual function. Exercises we may incorporate into your client-centered therapy plan include:
Eye Stretches
Eye stretches involve controlled motions designed to strengthen your ocular muscles and improve coordination. Examples of eye stretches include:
- Opening and closing eyes
- Blinking rapidly
- Rolling eyes
- Palming
Visual Tracking
Also called pursuit training, visual tracking encourages you to follow an object with your eyes. Your physiotherapist will move an object such as a finger horizontally, vertically, and at various angles to encourage a full range of ocular motion. We may also use computer simulations to perform these exercises.
Gaze Stabilization
Gaze stabilization focuses on your ability to remain focused on one object with visual and aural distractions. Increasing stimuli are added over time to improve your ability to fixate on a specific point for a prescribed period of time.
Spatial Localization
Spatial localization exercises help reestablish depth perception and hand-eye coordination. A dedicated physiotherapist will prescribe a series of exercises designed to improve your spatial perception. They may include picking up and moving objects, pouring liquids, or identifying the relative location of objects or moving images.
Saccades Exercises
Saccadic eye movements refer to quick movements of the eye that rapidly change your focus. They allow you to read quickly, scan material, and focus on different objects in your field of vision. For instance, saccades exercises may involve covering one eye while playing a visual game or performing visual activities.
Convergence and Divergence
When you focus on a nearby object, your eyes focus by converging or moving closer together. For far-away objects, your eyes will diverge or move apart. This function, called vergence, allows you to maintain binocular vision. To correct vergence issues due to oculomotor dysfunction, a physiotherapist will assign tasks that encourage your eyes to focus on objects or images throughout the field of vision.
Oculomotor Therapy as Part of a Comprehensive Treatment Plan
At Naples Community Injury Center, we understand that oculomotor dysfunction rarely occurs on its own. Our team can work with you to create a dedicated treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
Whether your oculomotor issues arose as a result of a car accident or a neurological condition, our licensed physicians have the knowledge and experience to help reduce discomfort and improve your quality of life.
In addition to targeted oculomotor therapy, we offer the following physiotherapy services:
Neurological and Rehabilitation Physiotherapy
Our highly trained physiotherapists treat individuals with neurological damage to the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. We know that neurological injuries can greatly compromise your mobility and independence.
We incorporate a variety of techniques to help you relearn movement including:
- Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT)
- Weight-supported treadmill therapy
- Constraint-induced language therapy
Massage Therapy
A licensed massage therapist knows how to select the right technique for your needs. We use massage therapy in conjunction with other physiotherapy methods to help reduce muscle tension, release compression, and improve your range of motion.
Resistance Training
As your mobility improves, your physiotherapist will add a series of exercises to strengthen your bones and muscles. Resistance training uses a variety of weights, resistance bands, and other specialized equipment to methodically improve your mobility.
Electrical Stimulation (ES) Therapy
Electrical stimulation (ES) uses low-level pulses of electrical current to reduce your pain. When placed near an injury, ES therapy is an excellent pain management tool that can help reduce inflammation and promote healing.
Spinal Manipulation
Also known as chiropractic adjustment, spinal manipulation reduces stress on your back and joints by realigning your spinal joints. A licensed chiropractor uses their hands or a specialized device to apply pressure on the spine and relieve pressure in the back.
Gait Training
Gait training uses a series of exercises to help you regain your balance and muscle strength so you can walk with confidence. This method focuses on helping patients who suffer from leg injuries, stroke, neurological damage, or other diseases overcome leg weakness and balance issues so they can walk again.
Muscle Energy Techniques
Patients with severe injury or illness may suffer from low stamina and loss of mobility. To help you safely regain mobility, our physiotherapists may use muscle energy techniques (MET). MET involves a series of active and passive motions designed to strengthen and stretch your joints and muscles.
Schedule Your Oculomotor Exercise Therapy in Marco Island Today
If you or a loved one suffers from oculomotor dysfunction due to trauma or illness, the dedicated physiotherapists at Naples Community Injury Center can help you. Our team is committed to providing attentive care to help you achieve the best possible quality of life.
Contact our office today to learn how we can assist with your recovery. We provide client-centered therapy to help you feel better.
