Concussions (mTBI) & Acquired Brain Injuries

About Concussions & Vision

A concussion, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), can occur when a person experiences a sudden bump, blow or jolt to the head. This rapid movement causes the brain to hit against the inside of the skull, often bruising or damaging neural networks. Due to the complexity of the visual system, even a mild concussion can disrupt many aspects of vision.

Details

Following a concussion, reading often becomes difficult. Text on a page may become blurry or even drift apart, becoming double. Words may even move or jump around. For many, these symptoms decrease reading speed, comprehension and attention. 

Research shows, over 50% of patients with a concussion have visual problems that cause headaches, light sensitivity, double vision, eye strain or blurred vision. Listed below are 13 symptoms that often follow a concussion.

  • Headaches
  • Light Sensitivity
  • Double Vision
  • Blurred Vision
  • Eye Fatigue
  • Motion Sickness
  • Dizziness
  • Disorientation
  • Loss of place when reading
  • Slow Reading
  • Poor Concentration
  • Inability to tolerate crowded or busy places
  • Delayed Visual Memory

Many of these symptoms result from damage to the visual system. Roughly 10-20% of concussed patients experience these symptoms for several weeks, months or more than a year.

The most common visual diagnoses following a concussion are:

Treatment – Return to YOU

Until recent advancements, treating these visual problems with basic rehabilitation was the general model of care. Even though general rehabilitation may include balance, eye-hand coordination, and visual tracking treatments, these limited forms of treatment do not typically address the majority of visual problems following a concussion.

At Wow Vision Therapy, we are a leading developmental and rehabilitative vision therapy practice. Our doctors and board-certified vision therapists treat post-concussion vision problems with intensive office-based vision therapy, for more effective results. We address these visual problems with a personalized approach. Each session is one-on-one (therapist-to-patient), conducted under doctor supervision. Our advanced vision rehabilitation is essential to restore visual functioning and accelerate the recovery process. 

Our advanced treatment includes:

  • In-Office and Home-Support VR
  • Binocular Vision Therapy
  • Accommodation “Focusing” Development
  • Visual Processing Development
  • Visual-Vestibular Integration Treatment
  • Oculomotor Therapy
  • Eye-Hand Coordination Therapy

Treatment may also include spectacle lens, prisms, filters, and special tint prescriptions to provide symptomatic relief.

Results

After treatment, our patients improve in their:

  • Eye-Teaming (Binocular Vision)
  • Depth Perception
  • Focusing (Accommodation)
  • Visual Tracking (Oculomotor)
  • Visual-Spatial Awareness
  • Visual Processing
  • Visual Motor
  • Visual-Vestibular Integration

Brain Injury Vision Symptom Survey

If you or your child has suffered from a brain injury, this free online vision test helps determine if a Vision Rehabilitation Evaluation is needed. When answering for a child, ask the following questions exactly as written. If the child responds with “yes”, please ask “how often” and answer accordingly. Try not to give examples.

Testimonials

Now that I have completed vision therapy I can say that the difference in my symptoms is night and day. I no longer avoid all of the important and necessary life tasks that I was before. My discomfort and frustration are totally gone! It is truly incredible!

- Mitchell

Get In Touch

To learn more, please fill out the form below and one of our Patient Care Coordinators will be in touch to answer your questions or help schedule an evaluation for you.


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND RESEARCH

ConcussionProject.com

Vision Diagnoses Are Common After Concussion in Adolescents

A Brief Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) Assessment to Evaluate Concussions

Vergence dysfunction in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI): a review.

CAR CRASH AFFECTED HIS VISUAL WORLD | WOW VISION THERAPY

Treating Vision Problems Post-Concussion (mTBI) | Wow Vision Therapy

What happens when you have a concussion? - Clifford Robbins | TEDEd

Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) | Wow Vision Therapy

The Impact of Concussion on Vision | VisionHelp

When a Concussion Leads to Serious Vision Problems | Wow Vision Therapy

Vision Rehabilitation for Stroke Victims | Wow Vision Therapy