Using Vision Rehabilitation to Improve Mobility in Parkinson’s Patients

For the 1.1 million people living with Parkinson’s disease in the United States, life can become increasingly difficult as the disease affects how they move through the world.

At its core, Parkinson’s is a movement disorder, often accompanied by vision issues. Combined, these two challenges can significantly impact mobility. The good news: People with Parkinson’s can maintain their mobility in several ways, and neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation is one effective option. 

To learn how the experienced team of neuro-optometrists with DeyeNAMICS helps people with Parkinson’s disease improve mobility, read on.

Parkinson’s Disease and Mobility

When people think of Parkinson’s disease, they often picture tremors and shaking, but it’s more complex than a simple movement disorder. Parkinson’s disease is progressive, caused by the gradual death of cells in the brain that produce dopamine.

Because dopamine is the neurotransmitter that controls smooth movement, losing it can lead to:

• Tremors
• Muscle stiffness
• Bradykinesia — slowed movements
• Lack of postural control

This last side effect — postural control — is fundamental to mobility. Postural control refers to the body’s ability to stay balanced when standing, walking, or recovering before a fall. If your ability to maintain postural control is impacted, you can lose balance and coordination, and overall mobility becomes difficult and potentially unsafe. This is further impacted by muscle stiffness and slower reaction time.

Regaining Mobility Through Vision and Postural Therapies

When patients with Parkinson’s disease come to see us, we first evaluate the intactness of visual processing including clarity of vision, how well the two eyes work together, and overall health of the eyes. From there, we work to improve mobility through various vision interventions and visual-postural therapies that include:

• Special lenses or prism glasses that can help with sharpness of vision 
• Targeted eye exercises to improve accuracy of eye tracking
• Treatments for dry eyes, a common issue with Parkinson’s disease
• Neuro-visual postural therapy (NVPT) to re-integrate proprioceptive movement with spatial (peripheral) vision

NVPT can play an incredibly important role in helping patients reduce their risk of fall due to disruptions in visual stability. It helps improve the way your brain uses your vision and body together to carry and support you safely. 

NVPT focuses on several areas, including:

• Eye tracking and coordination
• Near visual tasks
• Spatial visual processing
• Balance
• Eye movements
• Postural base of support

In most cases, patients benefit from combining these NVPT and visual therapies, alongside physical and occupational therapy, to maintain their mobility.

Your Path to Safer Movement

It’s possible to move through the world more confidently and securely, even when you have Parkinson’s disease — and we’re here to help. 

To learn more about NVPT and vision therapies for people with Parkinson’s disease, contact us at one of our offices in Sacramento, Bellflower, or Valencia, California; Guildford, Connecticut; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; or Plano, Texas, to set up a consultation.