Wow Vision Therapy Blog

Back to You: Finding Relief from Visual Symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome

Accommodative Dysfunction, Attention and Concentration Problems, Binocular Vision Problems, Concussion, Convergence Insufficiency, Double Vision, Motion Sickness, Oculomotor Dysfunction, Vision and Reading Issues, Vision Problems & Headaches, Visual Processing Problems, Wow Vision Therapy

In our earlier post, Post-Concussion Recovery: Vision Rehabilitation Restoring Visual Function and Quality of Life, we explained how a concussion—also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)—can disrupt vision in ways that make reading, screens, light, and motion overwhelming. Today, we build on that foundation and explore the next level of understanding:

  • What visual changes we actually test for
  • How those tests help guide individualized care
  • And how neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation helps patients return to work, school, play—or simply, return to themselves

A Concussion Can Happen Without Losing Consciousness

One of the most important things to know about concussions is this:
 You don’t have to hit your head or black out to sustain one.

Concussions can result from:

  • Car accidents
  • Falls (common in children and older adults)
  • Whiplash or rapid head movement (known as contrecoup injury)
  • Sports injuries and physical impacts
  • Work-related accidents

The effects may not show up for days, weeks, or even months—but when they do, the visual system is often at the center of it.

How We Measure Visual Dysfunction After Concussion

By the time patients come to us at Wow Vision Therapy, they’ve usually already been diagnosed with a concussion. But what’s often missed in early care is the profound impact that injury has on visual function—and how to actually assess it.

We use a battery of both objective and subjective tests to evaluate the brain’s visual systems and uncover post-concussion visual dysfunctions. These include:

Visual Performance and Eye Coordination

  • Near Point of Convergence Test – How well do the eyes work together up close?
  • Ranges of Fusion at Distance and Near – Can the eyes maintain alignment under visual stress?
  • Amplitude and Flexibility of Accommodation – Is the focus system underactive or strained?
  • Tannen Flipper Test – How quickly can the eyes diverge and converge in the distance?

Eye Movements and Tracking

  • King-Devick Saccadic Eye Movement Test – A rapid number-naming test that reveals delays in eye movement speed and accuracy
  • Visagraph Eye Movement Recording – Objective tracking data while reading to assess fixation, regressions, and fluency

Visual Processing and Integration

  • Test of Visual Perceptual Skills (TVPS) – Measures visual memory, spatial relationships, and visual processing efficiency
  • Visual-Vestibular Integration Tests – Checks how well the eyes and balance centers of the brain work together
  • Optic Flow and OKN Drum Testing – Identifies motion sensitivity and disorientation in dynamic environments

Specialized Testing

  • Response to Yoked Spatial Prisms – Evaluates how shifting the visual field can reduce symptoms or recalibrate balance
  • Bi-Nasal Occlusion Trials – Assesses visual filtering to improve peripheral overload
  • Therapeutic Tint Filters – Measures sensitivity to light and comfort with color-filtered lenses

Standard Eye Health and Vision Exam Components

  • Visual Field Testing
  • Ocular Health Evaluation
  • Comprehensive Refraction for optimal lens prescription at both distance and near

This layered, multidimensional testing process allows us to see not just whether the patient can “see 20/20,” but whether their brain and eyes are working together effectively—and if not, exactly where and how to target vision rehabilitation.

What These Tests Reveal: Patterns of Post-Concussion Vision Problems

Many of the patients we evaluate have undiagnosed but very real functional vision problems, including:

  • Convergence Insufficiency – Trouble using both eyes together for reading or close tasks
  • Oculomotor Dysfunction – Poor tracking, skipping words, or needing to re-read
  • Accommodative Dysfunction – Difficulty maintaining or shifting focus
  • Visual Memory and Sequential Memory Deficits – Trouble retaining and processing what was just seen
  • Visual-Vestibular Integration Dysfunction – Sensitivity to motion, disorientation in crowds or grocery stores
  • Photophobia – Light sensitivity that makes screens or overhead lights painful
  • Spatial Perceptual Imbalances – Where prism or partial occlusion can provide dramatic relief

These are the “hidden” effects of a concussion that patients feel every day—but that require specialized testing to uncover.

Vision Rehabilitation: The Path to Getting Back to You

At Wow Vision Therapy, we use office-based neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation to help patients retrain and restore the brain’s visual systems. Our therapy programs are personalized and progress-driven, with the goal of helping each patient:

  • Return to work
  • Return to school
  • Return to play
  • Return to you

This includes:

  • Weekly in-office sessions
  • Customized binocular, oculomotor, accommodative, and visual processing activities
  • Prescription of yoked prisms or therapeutic tints when needed
  • Tools for integrating visual motion and rebuilding endurance
  • Measurable progress tracked through both clinical markers and real-life goals

From Awareness to Action

In conclusion, recovery from Post Concussion Syndrome isn’t just about managing symptoms. It’s about helping patients reclaim their ability to work, learn, play and enjoy life again.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Contact Wow Vision Therapy in Grand Rapids or St. Joseph, Michigan to schedule a comprehensive neuro-optometric vision evaluation. You can also learn more at www.wowvision.net

Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FOVDR

Founder, Wow Vision Therapy