When you suffer from oculomotor dysfunction following a brain injury, stroke, neurological disease, or other serious health condition, targeted physical therapy can help you. A personalized Cape Coral oculomotor exercises therapy program with Specific Care Chiropractic can reestablish and strengthen your motor function in the event of oculomotor dysfunction.
Our experienced therapists are well-versed in effective, evidence-based oculomotor exercises that can help you recover your vision and stability. To learn more about the services we offer in Cape Coral, call us today at (239) 631-5445.
What Is Oculomotor Dysfunction?
The oculomotor nerve is a critical nerve that connects the brain to the eye and controls:
- Pupillary dilation
- Upper eyelid movement
- Eye tracking and fixation
- Saccadic eye movements
When a head injury or disease compromises the oculomotor nerve, these functions are impaired, which hurts the patient’s ability to focus, track movement, read, and scan materials.
Without treatment, these issues can hinder your daily life and prevent you from engaging in regular activities. Over time, untreated oculomotor dysfunction can lead to cognitive difficulties, anxiety disorders, and reduced quality of life.
Signs of Oculomotor Dysfunction
Depending on the cause, patients with oculomotor dysfunction may exhibit any of the following physical symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Compromised depth perception
- Eye strain
- Moving head while reading
- Difficulty reading or taking notes
- Reduced reading speed and comprehension
- Difficulty tracking moving objects
- Difficulty scanning for information
- Trouble focusing in busy environments
- Vertigo and dizziness
- Headaches
If you experience signs of oculomotor dysfunction, seek medical attention as soon as possible to receive a diagnosis and treatment for the underlying cause. Oculomotor dysfunction can be a secondary effect of a more serious health issue, so prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical. Depending on the conditions surrounding your oculomotor issues, you may benefit from a physiotherapy treatment regimen to return your vision to normal.
Oculomotor Dysfunction Causes
Victims of motor vehicle accidents or sport-related concussions are especially prone to compromised oculomotor function. However, oculomotor dysfunction can be a symptom of a variety of serious conditions, including:
- Swelling or herniation in the brain
- Cranial bleeding
- Stroke
- Aneurism
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Head trauma
If your vision suffers due to a head injury or other condition, a comprehensive oculomotor rehabilitation therapy program could help you recover eye control, focus, and reading ability affected by oculomotor dysfunction. Our providers can recommend a range of techniques to treat your condition.
How Our Cape Coral Oculomotor Exercises Therapy Can Help You
After receiving treatment for the fundamental cause of your oculomotor dysfunction, you may need physical therapy to reestablish normal eye motion and functions. Specific Care Chiropractic’s oculomotor exercises rehabilitation plans are designed to address the specific issues you face due to oculomotor dysfunction.
Using the latest technology, our physiotherapists create a plan that addresses weakness and lack of coordination in certain eye muscles. Exercises we use to treat oculomotor dysfunction focus on the following factors:
- Tracking: Tracking and pursuit exercises are designed to encourage the patient to follow a moving object.
- Position maintenance: The patient is encouraged to aim their vision at a specific object and focus on it for a specific period. This helps improve object location and reading skills.
- Converging and diverging focus: These exercises help the patient move their eyes inward to focus on close objects and outward to focus on distant objects.
- Rapid fixation: These exercises hone the patient’s ability to move quickly between visible objects.
Effective Cape Coral oculomotor exercise therapy can improve reading, learning, and coordination in patients affected by a variety of oculomotor difficulties.
Other Physiotherapy Services We Offer in Cape Coral
Since oculomotor dysfunction often occurs in conjunction with other health issues, your targeted physiotherapy regimen may incorporate other treatment methods. Physiotherapy services we offer in addition to oculomotor rehabilitation include:
Massage Therapy
Using a variety of techniques, our licensed massage therapists apply pressure to muscles and soft tissues to reduce pain, relax muscles, and enhance mobility. Massage therapy is often used concurrently with chiropractic adjustments, strengthening exercises, and other rehabilitation methods.
Ultrasound Therapy
Using waves of sound outside the range of human hearing, ultrasound therapy improves circulation to muscles and soft tissues. Enhanced circulation promotes quicker healing and reduces inflammation in injured tissues.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (E-STIM)
Our licensed physiotherapists apply electrodes to targeted areas around the injured muscle or joint. The electrodes deliver harmless, low-level electrical currents designed to improve muscle repair, encourage circulation, and enhance healing.
Rehabilitation Exercises
Oculomotor dysfunction may occur because of a stroke, head injury, or other damage that can affect other motor functions. Our rehabilitation therapy includes targeted exercises and stretches designed to improve your strength, coordination, balance, and flexibility.
Our Cape Coral Providers Offer Rehabilitative Treatment for a Wide Range of Medical Conditions
While oculomotor dysfunction may be a primary concern, we understand that it often arises from more serious underlying conditions. At Specific Care Chiropractic, we know that health issues are often complex and deeply personal. Rather than focusing on only one symptom or issue, we approach your problem at the source and create a personalized treatment plan that addresses the full scope of your issues.
For example, if you suffered a head injury in a car accident, you may suffer from oculomotor dysfunction due to head trauma. You could also experience neck and back pain, whiplash, and headaches. In addition, a traumatic brain injury could affect your mobility, coordination, and balance. Our team recognizes that these issues are interconnected, and we aim to help you achieve maximum medical improvement on all fronts.
Conditions We Treat in Cape Coral
Conditions our licensed chiropractors and therapists treat include:
- Whiplash
- Back and neck injuries
- Lower back pain
- Spinal cord injuries
- Muscle strains and sprains
- Herniated discs
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
We also offer comprehensive, solution-focused therapy for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders, neuromuscular diseases, nerve damage, and brain injuries. Whether your condition is due to acute trauma or a chronic condition, our team has the knowledge and experience to help you find a treatment plan to reduce pain and improve mobility.
Contact Us to Schedule Your Cape Coral Oculomotor Exercises Therapy
If you or a loved one suffers from oculomotor dysfunction due to a head injury or other medical condition, our team can help you determine a physical therapy treatment plan to address your vision issues.
Our team of chiropractors and physical therapists will address your ongoing symptoms to help you feel better. Reach out to our Cape Coral office today at (239) 631-5445 to schedule your first appointment.
