I recently discovered "behavioural optometry" - sounds a bit hokey, but seeing really is believing!

My daughter was given a 20/20 all clear for her vision from a "standard" - albeit big brand optometrist, but was later found to have eye focussing and tracking problems that were impacting her school work and self-confidence. We were referred by an occupational therapist to Gary Rodney - behavioural optometrist.  After seeing the tests he did on her eyes I decided to have my own checked out.  I fully expected to find exactly what I have been told by optometrists for years - that I am very short sighted, have a bad stigmatism and need the same huge prescription I have had virtually unchanged for years.

I thought nothing of the headaches and tired eyes I experience, I have 3 young children and rarely get a full nights sleep after all.  I hate reading the newspaper and quickly put magazines down - they require too much concentration and I am too tired to read them anyway...

To my surprise, Gary informed me that I did not need the huge prescription I have been wearing for years.  The sheer strength of what was supposedly correcting my vision was in fact making my eyes work very hard and putting them under unnecessary stress.  He explained how helping my eyes to work better by themselves and reducing the strength of the prescription.....He also recommended a particular type of multifocal lens to better cater for my reading strain (which was causing me to avoid what I had always loved – reading!) versus distance and driving sight requirements.

Gary prescribed new contact lenses for me to try.  I also ordered new lenses for one of my frames.  I still wondered if my vision would be as good with the lesser prescription.  Well I was in for a pleasant surprise.  Not only could I see just as well, but my eyes were more relaxed and much less tired wearing the new prescription with the contacts.  The real proof for me was that period before the new lenses in my frames were ready.  When I took my contacts out and put on an old pair of glasses with the old prescription, my eyes almost immediately felt different.  As I got used to the new prescription in the contacts, the old prescription in my glasses felt more and more uncomfortable.  Gary explained that this was because of the level of stress the previously strong prescription put on my eyes.

I now have new multifocal lenses in my frames and happily go between these and my new contacts.  I do not have bifocal contacts but have reading glasses I can wear with them if I am reading or on the computer for an extended period of time.  The end result is eye wear options that give me perfect vision without eye strain and headaches.  I am thrilled with the results.  I am now able to read again without any fatigue or strain. My daughter and I have also experienced the most wonderful customer service at Eyes InDesign, with expert help on frame selection and attention to every detail by the Eyewear Stylist. 

Thanks very much Eyes InDesign, Dianne and Gary.

Click here to read the clinical assessment and diagnosis by Gary Rodney