Natural Vision Correction: Does It Work?

The AAO Looks at Complementary Therapies

Could there be something to natural vision correction? The AAO decided to take a look.

In 1998, an AAO Task Force began an evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of complementary therapies in order to develop an opinion based on available scientific evidence.

In 2002, the Task Force published its opinion on visual training programs designed to improve vision by methods that included eye exercises, muscle relaxation techniques, biofeedback, eye patches, eye massage, nutritional supplements, and using prescription lenses that under-correct for the patient's near- or farsightedness.

No evidence was found that visual training had any effect on the progression of nearsightedness, or that it improved visual function for patients with farsightedness or astigmatism, or that it improved vision lost to diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy. Some studies showed improvement in 'subjective visual acuity' for patients with nearsightedness but no corresponding physiological cause was demonstrated.

"Some people will say they see better, but when we test them, they don't," says Bensinger. "They have a psychological reason to believe it works."

The AAO Task Force concluded the only risk of visual training was financial. (Alternative therapies such as natural vision correction are generally not reimbursed by medical insurance.)

The conclusion: Glasses and contact lenses may be a nuisance. But they work.