A holistic approach to visual care is given in a 26 day program to a group of subjects. Improvements are seen in visual acuity and visual stress, as well as vision fitness and behavioral problems related to vision

Henson, Brian

English

CommonKnowledge

Pacific University 
CommonKnowledge 
College of Optometry Theses, Dissertations and Capstone Projects 
12-15-1983 
Ultimate vision 
Brian Henson 
Pacific University 
Recommended Citation 
Henson, Brian, "Ultimate vision" (1983). College of Optometry. 660. 
https://commons.pacificu.edu/opt/660 
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Ultimate vision 
Abstract 
A holistic approach to visual care is given in a 26 day program to a group of subjects. Improvements are 
seen in visual acuity and visual stress, as well as vision fitness and behavioral problems related to vision. 
Degree Type 
Thesis 
Degree Name 
Master of Science in Vision Science 
Committee Chair 
Rocky Kaplan 
Subject Categories 
Optometry 
This thesis is available at CommonKnowledge: https://commons.pacificu.edu/opt/660 
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ULTIMATE VISION 
by 
Brian1~_:nson 
Advisor 
Dr. Rocky Kaplan 
In Partial Fulfillment of the 
Requirements for the Degree 
Doctor of Optometry 
Submitted for Approval 
December 15, 1983 
Abstract 
A holistic approach to visual care is g1ven 1n a 26 day program 
to a group of subjects. Improvements are seen in visual acu1ty and 
. I 
I 
visual stress, as well as vision fitness and behavioral problems 
related to vision. 
ULTHfATE VISION 
The way people see has a lot to do with how they choose to see. 
Sight 1s the part of the visual system that collects the incoming 
light and projects the image to the visual cortex. Vision is how 
the person perceives the images the eye is giving it. 
This study deals with vision and how the whole being is involved 
1n the visual process. This holistic approach to vision will deal 
with the physical, emotional, and psychological ·aspects of the 
subjects. 
Many different methods have been proposed for improving eyesight. 
The familiar ones are spectacles, contact lenses, and even surgical 
methods. These methods do not eliminate the problem they only serve 
to mask the problem. 
The methods used in the Ultimate Vision approach to v1s1on have 
been brought together as a result of the combining of many disciplines 
of science and human behavior. These include nutrition, exercise, 
relaxation and stress management, visual training, anatomy, and 
physiology. 
Dr. Bates, an ophthalmologist, used methods to 1mprove and 
correct eyesight without relying on spectacles. He found that various 
methods for relaxing the eyes and body, helped to improve the eye-
sight in all types of refractive error cases, including presbyopia. 
These methods include palming, sunning, and visualization techniques 
to help free the mind and body of the stress that was handicapping 
-1-
2 
the visual system. The Bates Method for better eyesight without 
glasses has proved to have some very valuable applications in reducing 
stress in the whole body, thereby reducing stress in the visual system 
d 11 . h . 1 . . 1 an a ow1ng t e v1sua system to 1mprove on 1ts own. 
Many people in the country rely on some type of optical correc-
tion to see clearly. Nearsightedness, or myopia, seems to be the 
type of refraction error that can change dramaticallY over a few years 
and is of great concern to optorriE:trists and patients alike. This 
progressive or functional myopia usually occurs while the child is 
in grade school, and finally stabilizes in the mid or late twenties. 2 
The control of this type of myopia has usually been done by the 
use of plus lenses for near work, thereby reducing the accommodative 
stress on the visual system at near. 
It is the belief of many functional optometrists that this 
~nvironmental, functional type of myop1a can be controlled and even 
prevented. 
Heredity determines the growth pattern of the eyes, but this can 
be significantly altered by environmental influences and factors such 
as nutrition and near point stress. Functional optometrists feel that 
vision is a learned human behavior, and that through greater knowledge 
of the visual system, and how it interacts with the total being, we 
d d d h f . 3 can re uce our epen ency on t e crutches o correct1ve eye wear. 
In this study various methods have been attempted to improve the 
overall quality of the subjects, to reduce the stress in the body and 
visual system, and to actively exercise the eyes and visual system. 
3 
Subjects and Testing 
Subjects for this research were chosen by random selection us1ng 
a newspaper advertisement and word of mouth. Potential subjects were 
then screened by giving them an optometric examination to find the 
current level of refractive error, muscle balance, stereopsis, and 
amounts of presbyopia if any. (Only myopes and presbyopes were 
chosen for the study.) Potential subjects were then told of the pur-
pose of the study, the time involved, and the commitments they needed 
to make. They were also asked for a $25.00 donation to help cover 
cost of materials used. 
After subjects were selected, they were all brought together for 
a weekend workshop in which they were given explanations of the 
vision system, the difference between sight and v1s1on, nutrition, 
aerobic exercises, visual testing, and home vision training. They 
were also given explanations and examples of self-relaxation techniques. 
Subjects were then given forms to fill out for their daily food 
consumption, exercise schedules, visual testing, and commitment 
guidelines. They were also given the Ultra Vision Manual4 which 
contains the outline for the 21 day program of home based vision 
training, and all pertinent information to the project. Subjects also 
filled out and rated their behaviors that concerned vision, and com-
pleted the Kaplan Questionnaire for Vision Fitness. 
The subjects were divided up into teams with a designated team 
leader. The teams acted as support groups throughout the 21 day 
exper1ence. The teams would try to meet once a week to report problems 
and any other insights or experiences to the team leader, who then 
called the chief investigator. In this way there was constant 
4 
communication between the subjects and researchers and any major 
problems or misunderstandings could be dealt with immediately. Also, 
any subject could call their team leader at any time if they had any 
immediate problems or concerns. 
21-Day Experience 
The 21-day program was divided into three one week periods. The 
first week was devoted to monocular vision. A patch was worn over, 
one eye for up to four hours a day during their daily routine as 
long as they felt they were 1n a safe environment. They performed 
visual exercises every day, adding a new one each day. Besides doing 
the exerc1ses, they were taught to also concentrate on their breathing 
and relaxation techniques. 
In week two the subjects were introduced to two-eyed viewing. 
Patches were still worn, but exercises were done now with both eyes 
open. Also a hi-nasal patch was incorported for part of the week. 
New exercises were added to the first week's exercises. All the 
exercises done 1n this program are simple and require no special 
equipment. For a complete description of the visual exercises and 
hygiene write to Rocky Kaplan c/o Pacific University. 
The third week was devoted entirely to two-eyed vision. More 
binocular exercises were added to the previous two weeks, one per 
day. 
During this whole three week period, the subjects were keeping 
track of their food intake, aerobic exercises, Eye-Q chart, and daily 
commitments 1n their diaries. 
At the end of the three weeks, the subjects came to another 
5 
weekend get together to discuss their experiences, fill out post-
testing questionnaires concerning visual fitness and behaviors, and 
turn 1n all their nutrition and exercise diaries. 
The subjects were then gi~en a post clinical exam within the 
following two weeks. 
Results 
The purpose of this study was to look for any types of changes 
that took place in the subjects from pre to post-testing. For a 
control group, a random group of people was tested at the same time 
as the·experimental group, and then again after the three week program 
for the experimental group. Table I shows the breakdown of the 
control and experimental groups 1n terms of age, education level, 
number of myopes, and number of presbyopes. 
Table I 
Subject Data 
Control Experimental 
n 21 62 
age (mean) 37 34.7 
min. age 25 14 
max. age 64 60 
education level 
(in%) 
H.S. 1.7 
H.S. 11.7 
H.S. 25 
BA, BS 41.6 
BS 6.7 
MA, MS 6.7 
MS 6.7 
myopes ( 45) n 15 50 
presbyopes ( 45) n 6 12 
6 
Table II shows the clinical data of the control and experimental 
groups. Stereopsis was done with the AO vectographic slide and polaroid 
glasses. Fixation disparity was also done with the AO vectographic 
slide and loose prisms at far and near. 
The results show that for the experimental group, visual acuity 
at far, stereopsis at far, and range of prism diopters to fixation 
disparity at far and near all significantly changed for the better 
between pre and post-testing. All other optometric data did not 
change significantly for either group. The vision fitness score also 
changed very significantly for the experimental group. The subjects 
had been asked to keep track of how much ot the time th,ey were 
wearing their current Rx before and after the program. It was found 
that the percentage of wearing time dropped from 78.9 percent to 19.2 
percent; a significant drop in their dependence on their Rx. All 
subjects had been told before the program started that they should 
wear their Rx for all life-threatening situations, i.e. driving a 
vehicle. 
In Table III we have a breakdown of the myopic group and the 
presbyopic group. This shows that the presbyopes as a group did 
not show any singificant changes. They had the same tendencies for 
improvements as the group as a whole, but not at an experimentally 
significant level. 
Table IV shows a percentage change from pre to post-testing from 
a behavioral questionnaire given to the subjects. They were rated on 
a scale of 1 to 10 with one being a behavior never noticed, and 
ten something they did constantly. 
Table II 
Data of Experimental Group and Control Group 
Control Experimental 
. Test 
-
n Xb X a t n Xb X a t 
V.A. @ far unaided I 17 20/75 20/66 .88 44 20/105 20/77 3. 877* 
Stereopsis thru 
habitual Rx I 18 138" 126" -.638 I 48 206" 156" 3 .15')'c 
Range of prism 
diopters to fixa-
tion disparity @ 
far I 18 4.58 4.5 .09 I 45 5.2 7.48 -5.38* 
Range of prism 
diopters to fixa-
tion disparity @ 
near I 18 6.82 8.65 -1.55 I 45 7.58 9.02 -2. 76')'c 
Vision Fitness I I 
- ~--
Score 20 7.55 8.85 -1.37 58 5.82 9.67 -7.17* 
% wearing time 
I of 20/20 Rx{ft I 40 78.9% 19.2% 11. 66* 
xb = before 
-X a = after 
..,,~ = Significant level of at least .05 using two-tailed test and 5 planned tests 
{ft = unplanned test I "-J 
Table III 
Experimental Group Data for Myopes and Presbyopes 
Myopes Presbyopes 
Test 
- -
n Xb X a t n Xb X a t 
V.A. @ far unaided 36 20/110 20/77 3.12* 11 20/68 20/61 2.5 
V.A. @near unaided 36 20/26 20/27 .988 8 20/35 20/34 -.32 
Stereopsis thru 
habitual Rx 40 194" 150" 2.51 8 240" 187.5" -1.87 
Range of prism 
diopters to fixa-
tion disparity @ 
far 39 5.1 7.5 -5.18* 6 6 7.7 -1.41 ' I 
Range of prism i 
diopters to fixa-
tion disparity @ 
near 37 7.82 9.12 2.44 8 6.5 8.56 -1.3 
Vision Fitness ·'' 
Score 46 5.87 9.98 -7.95* 12 7.75 9.17 -2.05 
-Xb = mean pre score 
-Xa = mean post score 
* = significant level of at least .05 using two-tailed test and 5 planned tests 
00 
Table IV 
Behaviors 
List of behaviors that 
testing. Each of the 
on the rating scale. 
used. 
changed significantly from 
listed behaviors were given 
See text for explanation of 
Behavior· Pre 
1. Skip words or sentences 22 
2. Reread lines or phrases 30 
3. Read too slowly 22 
4. Comprehension poorer as reading ~s 
continued or loses interest quickly 15 
5. Headaches ~n forehead or temples 14 
6. Frown, scowls or squints 20 
7. Rest head on arm when writing 5 
8. Write crookedly and/or poorly spaced 12 
pre to post 
at least a 5 
rating scale 
9 
Post % Change 
' 13 41 
14 53 
13 41 
7 53 
7 50 
14 30 
11 55 
7 42 
Conclusions 
This program tried to show that people can change their vision 
for the better without going through a long drawn out process of 
visual training that could last many months. It also wanted to 
10 
show people that they could reduce their dependency on eye correction 
and learn to use their vision more effectively and efficiently. The 
optometric data did not show any significant changes in refractive 
error, but it did show an 1ncrease 1n the range of prism diopters 
to fixation disparity, an indication that they had reduced the stress 
1n their visual system. Behaviors related to poor visual skills 
improved with the post-testing, indicating that the visual system 
(eye movements, focusing, binocularity, and visual hygiene) had 
improved significantly. 
The nutrition and aerobic part of the program can not be scruti-
nized statistically, but a high compliance rate and an increase in 
the subject's awareness of good nutrition and proper aerobic types 
of exercise was noted. Most of the subjects also reported that the 
breathing and relaxation techniques were very beneficial to them. 
Summary and Recommendations 
A program such as this, using a holistic approach, can be done 
with any number of people 1n a relatively short amount of time. The 
beneficial aspects of the nutrition, aerobics, and visual exerc1ses 
and hygiene, should carry over into the normal routine of the patients. 
More study needs to be done in the areas of nutrition and vision, 
and aerobic exercise and vision to give a more complete picture of the 
11 
needs of the visual system for these components of the total holistic 
approach to vision care. 
12 
References 
1. Bates, ·W .H. The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses. 
New York: H. Holt and Co., 1940. 
2. Young, F. The development and control of myopia in human and sub-
human primates. Contacts, November 1975, pp. 16~31. 
3. Benkle, David J. and Ellingson, Larry D. A Holistic Approach to 
Myopia Control and Prevention. Pacific University College of 
Optometry 7hesis. 
4. Kaplan, Rocky. Ultimate Vision, See for Yourself in 26 Days. 
Portland Optometric Clinic, Pacific University College of Optometry, 
1982. 


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