Vision Therapy vs. Glasses: What’s the Difference?

Many people assume that if they or their child have trouble seeing clearly, a pair of glasses will solve the problem. While glasses are essential for correcting refractive errors like nearsightedness and farsightedness, they don’t address all vision problems—especially those related to eye coordination, focus, and tracking. That’s where vision therapy comes in.

What Glasses Do

Glasses correct how light enters the eye, helping people see more clearly by adjusting focus. They are prescribed for conditions such as:

  • Nearsightedness (Myopia): Difficulty seeing objects far away.
  • Farsightedness (Hyperopia): Difficulty seeing up close.
  • Astigmatism: Blurry vision caused by an irregularly shaped cornea.
  • Presbyopia: Age-related difficulty focusing on close objects.

While glasses can make things sharper, they don’t train the eyes or brain to work together more effectively.

What Vision Therapy Does

Vision therapy is like physical therapy for the eyes and brain. It helps improve visual function by strengthening eye coordination, tracking, and focusing abilities. This is especially important for individuals with:

  • Convergence Insufficiency: Difficulty keeping both eyes working together while focusing on near tasks (like reading).
  • Amblyopia (Lazy Eye): One eye is weaker, leading to vision imbalance.
  • Strabismus (Eye Turn): One eye drifts inward or outward.
  • Eye Tracking Issues: Difficulty following moving objects or words on a page.
  • Visual Processing Problems: Trouble understanding or interpreting what the eyes see.

Do You Need Both?

Many people benefit from both glasses and vision therapy. Glasses improve clarity, while vision therapy enhances how well the eyes work together. If you or your child experience headaches, trouble reading, or difficulty focusing despite wearing glasses, vision therapy may be the missing piece.If you're unsure whether vision therapy is right for you, schedule an evaluation to learn more about your visual needs!

Interested in getting an evaluation? Send Denali and email and get started!

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