Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition in which a person sees near objects clearly but cannot clearly see distant objects. Although there has been no comprehensive global census of the prevalence of myopia worldwide, some researchers estimate that anywhere from 800 million to 2.3 billion people suffer from nearsightedness. Besides corrective and contact lenses, some practitioners recommend eye exercises for nearsightedness. Although eye exercises have not conclusively been shown to improve nearsightedness, the benefits of eye exercises can include strengthening the eye muscles to relieve such problems as double vision, focusing difficulties and strabismus.
Early in the 20th century, American doctor William Bates developed a system of eye exercises for nearsightedness, claiming that such exercises for myopia would radically improve vision. In his book The Cure of Imperfect Sight by Treatment Without Glasses, Dr. Bates prescribed a series of myopia eye exercises to strengthen the external muscles of the eyes, believing that these muscles controlled the eye lenses. Modern research has shown, however, that the ciliary muscles, not the external muscles, cause the lenses of the eyes to focus. There is no scientific evidence showing that myopia exercises improve myopic vision.
Nearsightedness is primarily a genetic condition, mainly caused by two physical factors: the shape of the eye and the shape of the cornea. For many myopics, the oblong shape of the eye inhibits the proper convergence of light against the retina, causing blurred vision of distant images. In other cases, the cornea of the eye has too much curvature. Although there are some benefits of eye exercises, the specific benefits of eye exercises for nearsightedness are inconclusive and therefore are considered invalid by most physicians.
On the other hand, vision therapy is a valid and beneficial practice. Orthopics and other eye exercise regimens have shown to relieve amblyopia, also known as lazy eye; double vision; focusing problems; and strabismus, also known as crossed eyes. Various forms of vision training are practiced by athletes to improve focus, and eye exercises are prescribed as rehabilitation for patients who have suffered brain injuries. For people suffering from poor vision, even the slightest benefits of eye exercises for nearsightedness is welcome. Such exercises will not improve the condition of myopia but will help the eye to focus more quickly and will reduce eye strain.