Orthoptic rehabilitation for adults

Orthoptic rehabilitation for adults: you should think about it!

Avec l’hypermétropie et la myopie, l’astigmatisme est un trouble de la vision causé par une courbure irrégulière de la cornée ou du cristallin de l’œil. Cette courbure anormale empêche les rayons lumineux de converger en un seul point précis sur la rétine, provoquant une acuité visuelle floue ou déformée. Découvrez dans cet article les différents types d’astigmatisme, et comment les traiter !

orthoptic rehabilitation

What is

orthoptic rehabilitation ?

First of all, it’s a session performed at an ophthalmology practice with one of our orthoptists. The main goal is to rehabilitate and improve a failing visual function in the patient. The exercises performed with or without tools, tend to readjust the balance or to train sight efficiency.

This medical care is particularly recommended with:

 

Ophthalmologists whose patients are affected with neuro-degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson, AMD or strokes often suggest orthoptic rehabilitation sessions.

Why would you do

orthoptic rehabilitation ?

Depending on the vision disorder your ophthalmologist diagnoses, the orthoptist will help the patient toward healing or readjusting his or her optical coherence.

This care offer allows the patient to:

  • better control of his or her eyes movements;
  • better use his or her visual skills;

better apprehend his or her optical apparatus (corrective or contact lenses).

These points are essential in order to carefully support the visual readjustment of persons with a motor, visual, or traumatic disability.

This orthoptic rehabilitation will train and readjust the vision, but more importantly, it will prevent an aggravation of any existing visual function condition. Everyday life is much easier with a better control of your field of vision!

Who is concerned by orthoptic rehabilitation ?

Our ophthalmologist, Dr Stéphanie Zwillinger, performs functional explorations during your appointment. That’s when she diagnoses potential visual deficiency that requires orthoptic rehabilitation.

A lot of ophthalmologic diseases and pathologies require an appointment, as you can see in the following non exhaustive list:

Which specialist

performs orthoptic rehabilitation ?

To process an orthoptic rehabilitation, you will first need to make an appointment with our ophthalmologist who will then perform functional explorations and complementary examinations, in order to diagnose which ocular anomaly you suffer from.


After that, you’ll get a prescription for an orthoptic session with an orthoptist. Our COP9 practice offers the advantage of reuniting both specialities in one location, as well as a contactologist and a psychomotor therapist to complete the care pathway.

The orthoptist is specialized in the care of vision disturbances. Patients of any age are welcome: newborns, babies, children, adolescents, adults, elderly. Whether you are able-bodied or a person with a disability, our orthoptist knows how to personalize your rehabilitation sessions in order to offer you the best visual adaptation possible.


Orthoptists can either practice in a private practice or an hospital center, in a rehabilitation center or a facility for people with a disability. Here at COP9, our orthoptists work in collaboration with our ophthalmologist: Dr. Stéphanie Zwillinger.

orthoptic rehabilitation specialist
orthoptic rehabilitation exercises

How does

orthoptic rehabilitation work ?

An orthoptic rehabilitation session takes between thirty minutes and an hour. You can schedule either a unique session, or several per week. 

The first session generally consists of a discussion between the patient and the orthoptist. The parents are asked to be present when a session is booked with their children. After that, a visual acuity test as well as an orthoptic check-up are performed. Based on the results, the specialist put in place a program of oculomotor and sensory rehabilitation.

It takes 10 to 20 sessions on average to readjust the vision. Being present on a regular basis plays an important part in the success of the procedure.

The professional provides orthoptic rehabilitation at the ophthalmologic practice. The patient can then reproduce at home practical exercises shown at the practice. But as important as this work of optical correction is, these exercises are complementary to the sessions and can not be considered as a substitution to them. They help the patients to adapt themselves on a day-to-day basis and bring them more comfort.

As a conclusion

During orthoptic rehabilitation, it’s important to put the patients in command of their treatment: the more invested they are, the better the result! Our medical team is here to accompany you, so do not hesitate to make an appointment. And if you want to know more, follow us on our social networks (Instagram and Facebook) or continue to read the articles below!

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