Treatment for Cyclophoria
As previously stated, it often proves of great benefit to employ a muscular exercise where a patient has an existing cyclophoria of either one or both eyes, results derivable through the exercise of the recti muscles having been previously detailed.
To exercise the oblique muscles of the right eye, both Maddox rods should be placed in the original position employed for making cycloduction test, as previously explained ([Fig. 37]). This causes the patient to see but one band or vertical streak ([Fig. 38]).
The Maddox rod, placed before the right eye, should be slowly rotated inward from ninety degrees to a point on the scale where the single streak of light breaks, when it should again be returned to ninety degrees. This causes a contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the form of an exercise and should be repeated ten times—about five minutes each day. By employing the Maddox rod before the left eye in precisely the same manner, its oblique muscles will be exercised.
To determine whether or not this form of exercise is beneficial to the patient, the weekly cycloduction test, as previously described, should be made and compared with the original findings.
Ski-optometer Model 235
A Compact Phorometer and Trial-Frame.
For Testing and Correcting Muscular Imbalance—
Providing a Comfortable Form of Trial-Frame.
Chapter XV
MOVEMENTS OF THE EYEBALLS
AND THEIR ANOMALIES
After a careful study of the foregoing chapters, the refractionist may desire further knowledge concerning muscular imbalance—a matter in which the Ski-optometer plays an exceptionally important part.
It should be remembered that it is only the general utility of the instrument, plus one’s knowledge of refraction and individual diagnosis that enables the refractionist to attain maximum efficiency in every examination, a fact which largely accounts for the following chapter.