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| A report
about using Vision Restoration Therapy in the routine
of an ophthalmological practice |
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Dr. med. Marion Uhlig from Chemnitz, Germany reports:
"In the course of my 15 year occupation as an ophthalmological specialist, nearly 14 of which I have been located in Chemnitz (Germany), I have repeatedly experienced that patients who have undergone surgical intervention of central tumors, in other words have apoplexia and hemianopia conditions or following accidents which result in impairments of the central nervous area (vision field restrictions) regard the partial loss of vision or field of vision as a profound personal limitation in their everyday life despite extensive rehabilitative measures. These severe limitations are hard to cope with in their private as well as working life because the distinct limitations in their personal space (being able to drive) and their ability to work (also driving ability, mobility while working) overlap.
For this reason I have always been searching for possibilities to at least offer my patients the rudiments of a therapy to effect an improvement in their condition. To this end I have included oxygen therapy, magnetic field therapy and similar methods in my practice and have achieved at least a slight improvement in their personal life.
In February 2002 one of my patients, who was suffering from an increased visual field loss and who was no longer even responding to homeopathic therapy methods at this time, brought the possibility of a visual restoration therapy to my attention. So I gathered comprehensive material regarding this possibility. This was to be my first encounter with so-called neuroplasticity, and so I researched this possibility more closely. Nerve cells that were severely restricted in their ability could again have the possibility through training to better carry out their functions.
After studying the principles of the visual restoration therapy and arranging my practice accordingly, in March/April 2002 I began the so-called visual field training with my patients. I fully discussed the possibilities and limitations of such therapies beforehand and pointed out that the cooperation of the patients would be extremely important during this therapy.
26 patients applied for this therapy between April 2002 and December 2004, whereby 23 of these actually conducted the therapy. 80% definitely noticed an improvement overall in their life, 4 of the patients even applied to retake their driving test. On the condition that I was helping my patients when I decided to set up this therapy form in my practice, I was yet relatively sceptical at the beginning about the possibility of also treating visual field problems that had arisen much earlier on.
In the course of my 3 years' experience with visual restoration therapy methods I have to confirm again and again that the achievements my patients, those that take their training very seriously, have made astonish and amaze me time and time again. Particularly very young patients, 3 were under 30, clearly benefitted from the training in regard to their professional life. All the patients that are in our therapeutic care indicated more than once how the training gave them renewed hope and the will to live. Most reported to that effect how they felt less restricted in their personal freedom, which had been the case after falling ill and continued to be the case even after rehabilitation.
Certainty of mobility, the possibility to negotiate street traffic, whether as a pedestrian or in special cases even as a driver provided a sense of self confidence and security. A teacher that I treated was able to return to work after reporting with relief that her ability to read had returned. This was also noted by other patients. Some for whom reading was very important, especially elderly patients whose other disabilities did not allow them to pursue other leisure activities, were very satisfied to have regained their ability to read.
It was similar concerning watching television or doing handiwork or crafts. Even in the area of sports many of my younger patients were filled with renewed courage to face life as they could again pursue such activities as jogging, skiing, riding a bicycle or other activities due to their improved field of vision. All the patients who were or still are in our therapeutic care reported without exception nonetheless that it was primarily the restored hope given during the beginning of the therapy, the possibility given to again actively participate in everyday life. Patients are so often assured that despite extensive rehabilitative measures a further improvement of the visual field and therefore the recovery of their ability to read or similar activities is now no longer possible. That this hope was fulfilled through this therapy fills me with joy consistently, especially when I hand over the final diagnostic report and patients thank me joyfully for this therapeutic possibility, with a deep sense of satisfaction and gladness." |
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