Many patients come to us after spending months in vision therapy without meaningful relief. They’ve worked hard, attending regular sessions to strengthen their eye muscles, yet they still struggle with persistent symptoms like headaches, dizziness, double vision, or difficulty reading. If that sounds familiar, it might not be a matter of effort, or even the right treatment. It could be binocular vision dysfunction (BVD).
At NeuroVisual Specialists of Florida & iSee VisionCare, we specialize in diagnosing and treating BVD, a condition that is often overlooked and misdiagnosed. If traditional vision therapy hasn’t resolved your symptoms, you may be dealing with an eye misalignment that requires a different approach.
What Is BVD and Why Does It Matter?
Binocular vision dysfunction occurs when your eyes are slightly misaligned, forcing your brain to work overtime to create a single, clear image. This strain can lead to a wide range of symptoms, including:
- Headaches or migraines
- Dizziness or balance issues
- Blurred or double vision
- Anxiety in busy environments
- Reading challenges and difficulty with comprehension
While vision therapy is effective for some visual issues, especially those involving eye tracking or convergence insufficiency, it may not be enough for patients with BVD, particularly when vertical misalignment is involved.
Why Vision Therapy Sometimes Falls Short
Vision therapy involves a structured program of eye exercises designed to improve coordination, focus, and visual processing. While it can be helpful in many cases, it comes with some limitations:
It Takes Time
Vision therapy often requires months of consistent training to produce results. For children struggling in school or adults unable to work due to symptoms, waiting months simply isn’t feasible. Our patients need answers (and relief) now.
Not Everyone Can Train Their Eye Muscles
Some patients, particularly older adults or those with severely weakened eye muscles, may find that their eyes aren’t able to respond to vision therapy. In these cases, therapy becomes frustrating, costly, and ineffective.
Vertical Misalignments Need More Than Exercises
One of the most commonly overlooked types of misalignment is vertical heterophoria, where one eye sits slightly higher than the other. According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, even small vertical misalignments can cause serious balance and dizziness issues.
The problem? Vertical heterophoria is notoriously difficult to correct with therapy alone. In fact, the most effective treatment options are typically prism glasses or, in some cases, surgery. Not everyone is a candidate for eye muscle surgery, but almost everyone can benefit from prism lenses when properly diagnosed.
The Prism Glasses Advantage: Instant, Non-Invasive Relief
One of the most powerful tools we use at NeuroVisual Specialists of Florida is custom-designed prism glasses. These lenses gently redirect light so that the image each eye receives is in better alignment, allowing the brain to process visual information without strain.
The benefit? Immediate relief.
Many of our patients experience noticeable improvement as soon as they put on their glasses during the first fitting. There’s no waiting, no guesswork – just results.
How We Diagnose BVD When Others Miss It
Because BVD often mimics other conditions like ADHD, migraines, vestibular disorders, or generalized anxiety, it’s frequently missed by providers who aren’t trained in neurovisual evaluations. At our clinic, we use a specialized approach called the Feinberg Method to detect even the most subtle misalignments and prescribe the right prism correction for each patient.
We’re proud to be Florida’s first clinic offering this advanced level of care, under the direction of Dr. Erin Sonneberg, OD, a nationally recognized expert in BVD and vertical heterophoria.
Don’t Wait Months for Relief – Find Out if It’s BVD
If vision therapy hasn’t worked for you or your child, or if your symptoms persist despite countless doctor visits, it’s time to consider another possibility.
Binocular Vision Dysfunction is often the missing piece. And when it is, the right diagnosis and prism glasses can change everything. Complete our BVD questionnaire to find out if you might be a candidate for evaluation and treatment.
At NeuroVisual Specialists of Florida & iSee VisionCare, we’re here to provide answers and restore quality of life, one patient at a time.
Dr. Erin Sonneberg
Dr. Erin Sonneberg, OD, received her Doctor of Optometry degree from New England School of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts in 2004. She completed her undergraduate studies at City University of New York, Queens College in 2000, where she graduated with honors in business. Dr. Sonneberg relocated to Boynton Beach, Florida, in 2006, and has been practicing alongside prestigious ophthalmologists in the area since that time.
