The Benefits of Visual Performance Training for Health & Wellbeing
Visual performance training can play a significant role in enhancing health & wellbeing, particularly in the contexts of injury recovery, head trauma, and general health, with exciting research being undertaken in the areas of Parkinson's Disease and dementia.
Here’s how:
Injury Recovery
Enhanced Rehabilitation: Visual performance training can aid in the rehabilitation process by improving coordination and balance, which are often affected after injuries. This is particularly beneficial for recovering from musculoskeletal injuries and surgeries.
Faster Recovery: By engaging the brain and visual system, such training can accelerate neural and motor recovery, helping patients regain their functional abilities more quickly.
Head Trauma
Neuroplasticity Stimulation: After a head trauma, visual performance training can stimulate neuroplasticity, helping the brain reorganise and form new neural connections. This can improve cognitive and motor functions affected by the trauma.
Improved Coordination and Balance: Training the visual system helps restore coordination and balance, which are often compromised after a concussion or other head injuries.
Parkinson's Disease
Enhanced Motor Control: Visual training can improve motor control and coordination in individuals, helping them manage symptoms such as tremors and bradykinesia (slowness of movement).
Better Gait and Stability: Training can enhance spatial awareness and balance, reducing the risk of falls and improving gait patterns.
Dementia
Cognitive Stimulation: Visual performance training can serve as a form of cognitive exercise, potentially helping to slow the progression of dementia by stimulating brain activity and improving visual processing skills.
Improved Daily Functioning: Enhanced visual skills can help individuals with dementia better navigate their environment, maintain independence longer and perform daily tasks more effectively.
General Health
Enhanced Quality of Life: Good visual skills contribute to a higher quality of life by improving the ability to perform everyday activities, participate in social interactions and enjoy hobbies.
Mental Health Benefits: Engaging in visual training exercises can also have positive effects on mental health, reducing stress and improving focus and concentration.
Prevention of Visual Fatigue: Regular visual performance training can help prevent visual fatigue and eye strain, which are common in today's screen-centric lifestyles.
The Benefits of Visual Performance Training for Health and Wellbeing
In Clinical Settings
Personalised Programmes: Healthcare providers, such as optometrists and occupational therapists, can create tailored visual training programmes to address specific health issues and recovery goals.
Rehabilitation Centres: Integrate visual training exercises into rehabilitation programmes for patients recovering from injuries or surgeries.
At Home
Daily Exercises: Incorporate simple visual exercises into daily routines, such as tracking objects, focusing on different distances and practicing peripheral vision awareness.
Use of Technology: Leverage the Senaptec Sensory Station and At-Home-Training App that offer structured visual training exercises to enhance cognitive and motor functions.
Support for Specific Conditions
Parkinson’s and Dementia: Engage in activities that combine physical movement with visual tasks, such as dance classes, Tai Chi, or specialised exercise programmes designed for these conditions.
Post-Head Trauma: Work closely with healthcare providers to follow a structured visual training regimen that supports recovery and monitors progress.
Visual performance training for health and wellbeing
Visual performance training offers a multifaceted approach to improving health and wellbeing. By enhancing coordination, balance, cognitive function and overall visual processing, it can aid in recovery from injuries, manage symptoms of neurological conditions and support general health.
Integrating visual training into rehabilitation, therapy and daily routines can lead to significant benefits, helping individuals maintain independence, improve quality of life and achieve better health outcomes.