Electrical eye stimulation is a physiotherapeutic method of treatment, which is based on the action of electrical impulse current. In ophthalmology, it is used to act on the muscular apparatus of the eye, the optic nerve and the retina. This is a modern technique, comfortable and one of the most effective. This method is perfect for the prevention of visual impairment and the treatment of a number of eye pathologies. In clinical practice, electrical eye stimulation has been used for more than twenty-five years.
Destination
The action of electric pulsed current on the motor muscles of the eyes and eyelids leads to a gradual improvement in nerve and muscle transmission. This helps to achieve normalization in muscle tone, and, in addition, improves their direct functioning with friendly eye movement (against the background of strabismus), raising the eyelids (in the presence of ptosis), and so on.
Actionelectrical stimulation aimed at the sensory apparatus of the organs of vision (optic nerve and retina) helps to increase the number of functional connections with the brain and creates a large feedback. At the same time, against the background of all stages of the visual analyzer in the state of sleep, the number of neurons decreases. A focus of excitation appears in the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex, nerve cells are activated.
Electrical stimulation of the retina is prescribed for dystrophic changes in the optic nerve and retina, amblyopia, myopia, pathologies of the oculomotor muscles (against the background of paresis and paralysis).
Indications for electrical stimulation
If there are appropriate medical indications (expected improvement from therapy), electrical eye stimulation is performed for children and adults. With different eye diseases, the effectiveness of this method varies depending on the age of the patient and the duration of the disease. For children under eight years of age, electrical stimulation is carried out subject to the psychological readiness of the baby for this type of treatment (the question of this is always decided individually together with the parents). Diseases for which the overall effectiveness of electrical stimulation has been proven:
- Atrophy of the optic nerves of various origins (post-traumatic, glaucomatous, toxic, ischemic damage).
- Development of myopia (nearsightedness) in a patient.
- With spasms of accommodation (against the background of false myopia). This is a malfunction of the ciliary eye muscle, due to which the eyeceases to clearly distinguish objects that are at different distances from the visual organ.
- With asthenopia. That is, against the background of visual discomfort or fatigue that quickly sets in during the work of the organs of vision (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia, etc.).
- Against the background of amblyopia, that is, with weakening of vision, which is functional in nature and cannot be corrected using glasses or lenses (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, congenital cataracts, corneal opacities, etc.).
- Against the background of presbyopia (senile farsightedness). In this case, we are talking about age-related changes in the refraction of the eyes, which develop closer to forty years and are manifested by difficulty when looking at small objects, when reading texts close up, which are printed in small print.
- As part of prophylactic treatment for persons who work in eye strain mode.
- Against the background of display computer vision syndrome, which occurs in fifty percent of PC users. Such a syndrome manifests itself as a decrease in visual acuity, the appearance of fog, and, in addition, a violation of the ability to see certain objects or text at different distances. It is advisable to carry out this procedure in case of doubling of objects, against the background of pain when moving the eyes, in the forehead and orbit, dryness, burning in the eyes (with sand in the eyes), photophobia and other manifestations, up to the occurrence of false myopia.
- On the backgrounddystrophic lesion of the retina.
- With retinitis, which is a hereditary disease of the retina, manifested by uneven pigment deposits on the periphery of the retina. Such deposits are sometimes referred to as bone corpuscles and a failure of twilight vision (in low light conditions), and, in addition, a decrease in visual acuity.
- In the presence of strabismus and ptosis.
- In the presence of a congenital pathology of the elements of the visual analyzer.
- Against the background of cataract (in order to prevent the occurrence of amblyopia and in preparation for surgery).
Contraindications for electrical eye stimulation
This method also has some disadvantages. For example, in the presence of severe neurological damage, this technique may be ineffective or will not work at all. With this procedure, the underlying disease is not treated, but only its main consequences are eliminated. In addition, there are contraindications to the use of this method:
- The patient has atrial fibrillation.
- Development of rheumatism in the active phase.
- Occurrence of frequent bleeding.
- The emergence of heart disease and cancer.
- The emergence of infectious diseases.
- The appearance of inflammation in the acute stage.
It is forbidden to use electrical stimulation of the eyes to restore tendons and muscles if they were sutured less than a month ago. In no case should this method be used for muscle rehabilitation for pregnant women, since the procedure canprovoke an increase in uterine tone, which can often result in a miscarriage or premature birth (depending on the timing of gestation).
What is the effect of the treatment?
Effects from electrical stimulation of the muscles of the eye, as a rule, are achieved as follows:
- Achieve improved visual acuity.
- Improving the level of peripheral vision.
- Achieve stabilization of intraocular pressure (in the presence of compensated glaucoma).
- Increasing the overall tone of the oculomotor muscles.
- Expansion of accommodation reserves.
It is better to read reviews about electrical eye stimulation in advance.
How can I get electrical stimulation of the visual organ?
In order to find out about the indications for electrical stimulation, you need to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. In specialized clinics, electrical stimulation is carried out according to medical indications and against the background of the absence of any contraindications for this type of therapy.
How is electrical stimulation performed and what devices are used?
They use a special device for electrical stimulation of the eyes, which is called an ophthalmic microprocessor-based electrical stimulator "ESOM". In order to determine the individual parameters and characteristics with which the procedure will be carried out for a particular person, it is necessary to perform a preliminary examination.
After determining the appropriate parameters with which thismanipulation in a particular patient, one of the sensors of the apparatus for electrical stimulation of the eyes is attached to the patient's hand, and the other, which looks like a fountain pen, is applied to the patient's eyelid. The stimulation procedure lasts from ten to fifteen minutes. Patients do not feel any pain or discomfort, but only see a weakly flashing light (namely phosphene). The procedure is carried out daily, each eye is serviced separately.
Treatment results
According to various sources, positive results after the first course of electrical stimulation are observed in 25-97% of cases, which directly depends on the degree of damage to visual function. The result of treatment lasts from six months to two years. Summarizing the available data, it is worth highlighting a number of diseases in which electrical stimulation is especially effective as part of a single treatment:
- Against the background of partial atrophy of the optic nerves after traumatic brain injury, in the presence of glaucomatous etiology and toxic damage to the optic nerves. In all these cases, a positive effect is achieved in seventy-five percent of cases.
- Against the background of childhood amblyopia, the effectiveness ranges from sixty to eighty percent.
- In the presence of partial congenital and postneuritic atrophy of the optic nerves, a positive result is achieved in seventy-nine percent of cases.
In a number of situations, against the background of visual acuity unchanged after the initial course of therapy, the electrophysiological indicator improves, which can be regarded aspositive stimulation result.
According to reviews, electrical eye stimulation for children is very effective.
Procedure in children
Immediately before starting the procedure, it is extremely important to correctly diagnose a person, and, in addition, choose methods of physiotherapy. Next, you need to prepare the child, and psychologically as well. This is especially important for children who are at a younger age. The first procedure is usually allowed in the presence of mom or dad to reduce stress levels.
Duration
The duration of each session, as a rule, reaches one hour. In a specially equipped treatment room, the baby is seated at the table on which the apparatus is located. All the time the procedure is performed, his eyes must look strictly into a special screen, which is brought close to the visual organs. Some methods use special goggles.
As a rule, a child's therapy rarely exceeds four sessions and requires almost no remedial action. Small patients can be prescribed auxiliary medications that speed up healing and fix the result, as well as lenses with special glasses.
Treatment outcomes in children
Regardless of the intensity of the disease, the positive effect of electrical eye stimulation in children is quickly felt. However, the quality of therapy, first of all, will also depend on the correct implementation of the individual plan, and,in addition, from the regularity of the child's visit to the physiotherapy room. In general, such hardware treatment of children, as a rule, helps to achieve the following results:
- Increase children's visual acuity.
- Improve overall eye performance along with reduced fatigue.
- Improving the quality of blood supply, and, in addition, blood circulation in the tissues of the visual organ.
- Blocking the further development of eye diseases in a child.
Thus, eye diseases in children urgently require close attention and the implementation of all instructions prescribed by the pediatrician and ophthalmologist. After all, it is important for mothers and fathers to remember that defects that arise at an early age can seriously affect the he alth of a child already in the adult period of his life.
Impact on the retina
First of all, the electrical stimulation procedure can have an effect on the ciliary muscle, which controls the process of focusing images on the retina and the state of its photoreceptors - cones and rods. During the procedure, changes in the neural activity of the visual system occur. At the level of the retina, the activation of the functionally oppressed element is achieved along with the improvement of energy metabolism. And directly at the level of the optic nerve, it is possible to achieve an improvement in the conductivity of the nerve fiber.
Electrical stimulation under the eyes
The therapeutic effect is achieved due to the impact on living tissue with low-frequency electric currents of low strength. This effect does not cause visiblecontractions of muscle fibers, but works at the cellular level. The area of action of the current extends to the skin, muscle tissue, lymphatic and blood vessels. Microcurrents can improve blood circulation and lymph movement, helping to activate the metabolic process and general regeneration. Among other things, it has an anti-inflammatory effect.
The following are reviews of electrical eye stimulation in children and adults.
Reviews
Reviews about this procedure are mostly positive. Visual acuity improves and eye fatigue is reduced. People in their comments report that electrical stimulation is usually well tolerated, does not cause side effects, and is painless. True, some patients are somewhat annoyed by the duration of the sessions. Taking aids against the background of these procedures for children helps restore vision faster.
