Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation at Excel est. 2004
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Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury ∙ Learning Disabilities ∙ Autism ∙ Infant and Visual Development ∙ Neuro-Degenerative Diseases ∙ Visually Evoked Potential ∙ Visual Information Processing Testing ∙ Kinetic Color Visual Field ∙ Optometric Phototherapy
48189 Van Dyke Ave, Shelby Township, MI 48317
Phone: (586) 731-9725
Fax: (586) 488-0006
Tracking Issues, Sports, & More
"Playing sports often requires many visual skills. These skills are essential for helping us guide our arms/hands where they need to be, tracking a ball to perform at a high level, focus and fixate on an object to see it clear, and many more! If the visual system is not functioning at 100%, then it may be difficult to play at the highest potential."
Tracking Issues & Sports
There are approximately 17 visual skills to assess functional vision.
These skills also help us establish balance (visual, vestibular, and proprioception). Our visual system has two processing streams: central (“what”) and peripheral (“where”). The latter communicates with both the vestibular and proprioceptive systems to visually tell our brain where we are in space.
If peripheral awareness or fusion (eye teaming) are not functioning
at top levels, then the maximal potential is not provided.
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In sports, athletes want to have the best visual system possible.
Vision plays a major role in sports, and if there are deficits,
then it is possible the athlete may be performing at a lower level.
Many athletes perform vision therapy or similar types of exercises
to give them a competitive edge.
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Larry Fitzgerald, a legendary Arizona Cardinals wide receiver, performed vision therapy.
He credits vision therapy as a part of his professional success.
Another example of an athlete who went viral for his videos
performing vision exercises (eye-hand coordination) is NFL running back, Alvin Kamara! ​
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Motion Sickness and Dizziness
“To be in balance our sensory systems need to be working in harmony.
The systems that provide balance and communicate together are vision, vestibular, and proprioceptive. If you experience motion sickness or dizziness,
it is time to determine if your visual system is part of the problem.”
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Our vision, a dominant sense, is instrumental in determining our spatial location.
Our visual system operates through two processing streams: central (identifying 'what') and peripheral (locating 'where'). The latter, crucially, interacts with the vestibular and proprioceptive systems to visually guide our brain about our spatial location.
When we're in motion, our peripheral system is actively processing both movement
and the visual environment we're moving through.
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Vision can contribute to motion sickness, especially when in a car. Motion sickness can occur as the driver or even as the passenger. If the problem is not vestibular, then vision may be the culprit. Treatment options range from active (I.e., vision therapy and optometric phototherapy) to passive (e.g., occlusions or prism). In addition, vision helps provide information about where the body is in space. Abnormal vision processing can result in dizziness and balance issues.
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Motion sickness in the car can occur in patients with
traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative disorders, or visual dysfunctions.
Primitive Reflexes
At GLVR, we screen for some of the primitive reflexes. Primitive Reflexes are essential early in development; retained reflexes contribute to developmental delays. These can affect many areas, including reading and other visual skills.
Please click the following links to read more about vision and retained reflexes:
• Optometry & Visual Performance: Visual Skills Deficits and Retained Primitive Reflexes in Children (2018)
• Journal of Eye Movement Research: Persistance of primitive reflexes associated with assymetries in fixation and ocular motility values (2024)
At GLVR, our doctors and therapists have treated patients with rare diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and more! Even if you do not see your specific diagnosis above or symptoms, please call our clinic. Our doctors and team have many referrals in the area, and even if our clinic cannot help you with your vision or goals,
we may be able to refer or connect to someone who can help.
We work with a large network of providers and facilities and
practice in a multi-disciplinary approach to help our patients to the best of our ability.