Pencil Push-Up Eye Exercises & Vision Therapy | Eye Doctor Shows You How

Ophthalmologist and eye muscle surgeon, Dr. Rupa Wong, demonstrates eye exercises called pencil-push ups. These exercises are helpful for people diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which is a type of eye wandering (exotropia) when viewing objects up close. #eyeexercises #visiontherapy #convergenceinsufficiency
Questions answered in this video:
What is convergence insufficiency?
How do you do pencil push ups?
Can exercises help with strabismus?
What are natural treatments for eye wandering?
Does vision therapy work?
What is vision therapy?
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[@davidjohnson5684]

Very practical and useful, thank you.

[@20thCenturyFav]

Great explanation thank you

[@EyeWorkouts]

Dr. Rupa Wong, Thank you very much for such clear and simple exercises! ☀ We do eye fitness using a browser. This provides eye relief for those who forget to take breaks at work. We're inspired by your approach and are thinking about what exercises we could offer our users too!

[@otiebrown9999]

Hi Dr. Wong, I had them both. For me, "exercise ", had an effect. I totally "Control " the situation. But you helping your three children with prevention, most certainly does work. I look for the day, when we are all offered prevention, to protect our distance vision - for life! Thanks, Otie

[@DrRupaWong]

I'm so glad this helped, Otie! Thank you! 😊

[@jessli369]

Awesome video! Thank you for sharing ❤ Do you have any recommendations for saccades deficiency? I think that's what they called it.

[@wowbagger3505]

Long ago I had a freak retinal hemorrhage that pretty much covered the fovea of my non-dominant eye resulting in a spider vein cloud. Many years later I started having double vision. The glasses prescribed do not work well, so I am beginning to try exercises. Thanks for the clear explanation!

[@lilianmaes7710]

I don't have exotropia when I'm looking something up close, but it does happen when I'm trying to look at something at a further distance.

[@monowarabegum9319]

Bro you have alternative divergent squint

[@abeach5420]

Dr. Rupa . . .still the 'best' tresses on any doc on YT, that is for sure, haha. I shared this video with a friend whom needs the exercises so thanks.

[@DrRupaWong]

I appreciate that so much! Thank you! 🥺

[@binsicles]

Hi ya, I have diplopia in 1 eye (left) and when i look to the right my left eye don't move to the right fully but stays central therefor giving me double vision. Is there an exercise for this please? 🙏

[@TheMannyrq]

Dr. Rupa, thanks so much for the video. My son is 4 years old and was diagnosed with exotropia about 1 year ago and unfortunately we live in a small town with the only vision therapy is superbooked, still waiting for an opening. My son has the opposite of your description: his left eye wanders out when looking from the distance. In this case is this pen exercise still good?

[@ediblelipscrubs9466]

Thank you!!!

[@mohammedaadil1]

Hi Dr Rupa. Thanks for the helpful video. I dont see the handouts that you talked about in the video. Where can I find them?

[@gg349]

Very good video. Subscribed.

[@OkkarMaung]

thank you so much

[@doloresbertling5725]

Thank you!

[@tzenterprisebuilders2655]

Ty I will try

[@grace105p]

What exercise do you recommend for the opposite - when eyes drift in / misalign when looking at a distance and double vision at certain angles ?

[@user-qw2cs5oq8z]

Do you find the solution because i have the same problem

[@muneerahmir2769]

​@@user-qw2cs5oq8zme too have this same problem

[@adrianapina5]

Same issue here😢

[@BeachCrew100]

You need to cover one eye at a time and do the exercise. Look up the lazy eye exercises.

[@user-qw2cs5oq8z]

@@BeachCrew100 which the good one cover?

[@HackTorrance]

@DrRupaWong Hi Dr. Wong -- your video is a great explanation and demonstration of the pencil pushup technique, so thanks so much for it! I have one question: I wear glasses for reading, and a separate pair for distance. Which one do you recommend for wearing while doing the pencil pushups? Thanks again. 😍

[@sauravlahiry6951]

hi sis, Very Very Happy Holi ( Festival of Colors ) to u, Dr Wong, and the three little ones in advance.

[@rss1761]

How the vision therapy/exercises helps In I(XT) ,specifically in adults? Is this correcting the fusion/control only by making the deviation less frequent and more controllable,or it can lower the exodrift amount (PD) over time too?

[@roywebyog]

Thanks @"Docto", please let me know will this exercise for an "Vergence" type of Convergence Insufficiency

[@tiahbawa5771]

Thank you. When we do eye exercises at home, should we have glasses on?

[@worldview730]

Thanks for the pushups Doc. 👍

[@DrRupaWong]

Glad this helped! Thank you!

[@barcaman1013]

Just found out I had strabismus and amblyopia in right eye, doing patching gonna try this also

[@signevinther7639]

Hi Dr. Rupa Wong, Thank you for this video. I was wondering if you have any exercises for people who struggle with the same issue, only when looking into the distance? I got a concussion a year ago, and now I have trouble focusing on things far away. I have been diagnosed with exophobia, but unfortunately I cannot afford proper training, and therefore I am looking for exercises to do at home. Thank you in advance!

[@spiderlashful]

Dr. Wong, I had strabismus surgery 1.5 mos. ago for esotrpia. For 2 weeks my eyes looked aligned and then my left eye which was the least pulled became drifting out as exotropia. It has been like that for 2.5 weeks. What happened? I've been hearing about vision therapy. Is that eye muscle stretches? Can that work for me? How about this video of pencil push-ups? Please help me know. Thank you!

[@MzCynt08]

Thank you Dr Rupa. Prayfully insurance will see the importance of covering vision therapy. I've also subscribed to support your channel 💜

[@DrRupaWong]

Thank you so much for subscribing! Were you able to verify if your insurance covers it?

[@MzCynt08]

@@DrRupaWong No it's not covered but I'm able to start saving with a HSA account.

[@DrRupaWong]

@@MzCynt08 That is something! I hope you are able to get the treatment you need. My thoughts are with you!

[@MzCynt08]

@@DrRupaWong Thanks Dr Wong. God bless you, your family and business☀️

[@DrRupaWong]

@@MzCynt08 Same to you! 💝

[@zekesalazar7643]

Glad I figured out what I have. I got this after I got Lasik done. And it's really frustrating to live with

[@DrRupaWong]

I'm so sorry! I am glad you at least know what it is now. If there is anything else you would like me to post about, let me know!

[@adrianw604]

Is there an exercise for divergence insufficiency? I see double in my distance vision and have to use base-out prisms in my lenses.

[@istutiraajvanshi4409]

Dr. Wong, I recently got my SMILE Surgery and I'm having issue with the sharpness of the things around. Ny doctor advised me to do this exercise. What do you suggest??

[@K.etanak]

I got lazy eye and I've been going to the hospital to train my eye muscles for 5 months now. I'll implement this exercise to my routine.

[@DrRupaWong]

Glad this video helped!

[@mystarspica]

Thank you ❤

[@DrRupaWong]

No problem :)

[@otiebrown9999]

I did my work with a, " Steroptican", fusing two photographs, into a 3 dimension image. Yes, worked for me!

[@DrRupaWong]

I'm glad that worked!

[@lebooshdiaries]

Thank you for this helpful video! Will try it.

[@DrRupaWong]

Let me know if it helps!

[@lebooshdiaries]

@@DrRupaWong Dr Rupa, happy Sunday. I have been doing your exercise every day (although not always consistently) - will it help with presbyopia? I know you mentioned it's for convergence insufficiency but it does sound so much like presbyopia too, where up close is blur but everything is fine at a distance. I am constantly feeling eye strain too. So far I have been doing it for 3 months. Hope to hear your kind reply. Thank you.

[@Goatmeansronaldo]

​@@lebooshdiarieshey pro 😢

[@mohamedattia3395]

Thank you

[@DrRupaWong]

Thank you, Mohamed! Glad this helped!

[@Ebby1019]

Thank you! This was so helpful. Two of my boys have this issue and as you said vision therapy can be quite expensive. We will give this a try

[@DrRupaWong]

I'm so glad this was helpful! 😊

[@janduller4722]

@@DrRupaWong Nice video.When I was 10 I suddenly went cross-eyed. right eye turned out. I had another surgery when I was 21. And now after 21 years my right eye is pulling out again. If I let it go. 30th may i go to the ortopthist. I can keep my eye straight, but it's so tiring! do you think it would be better if they corrected my eye again with eye muscle surgery?

[@JSpades24]

Its beyond expensive id recommend getting medical insurance that covers it youll waste thousands of dollars i paid 180 a session.. then when you cant afford it anymore you wasted your money for nothing gotta love American healthcare

[@user-uk9ro4gz5x]

Dr Wong, I am such a fan of your youtube channel! Would you be able to please do a video on Korean double eyelid tape? It’s so challenging to find evidenced based research on the safety and efficacy of it! Thank you so much for all your helpful videos thus far(:

[@DrRupaWong]

Sorry for the delayed response! Sure, I will add this to my list. Thank you for the suggestion and I appreciate you being here! ❣

[@user-xb2tc6on4b]

Great explanation. I don’t see the handouts. Can you please share

[@user-vr9yw4tb4t]

Thank you i have exotropia and i need to get eye muscle surgery because my eye muscle keeps detacting going misaligned in the left eye muscle and i will try the eye exercises with the pencil push ups thank you😊

[@DrRupaWong]

Of course! Glad to have helped 😊

[@Delores999]

Thanks

[@mkswatch]

Thank you Dr. Rupa. I am doing my Pathology residency in first year, I am starting to get problems like when I look at a microscope and then try to make notes or look at a book my vision becomes blurred for minutes and it is making difficult for me to carry on with my Pathology residency. Recently, I was diagnosed as fusional insufficiency. So , can it be cured so that I can continue with Pathology residency looking the microscope or should I drop the Pathology residency?

[@marsimusaonit4503]

Thanks!

[@DrRupaWong]

You bet!

[@Delores999]

I like this.

[@Our-Piece-OF-Paradise]

Hello doctor, thank you, but I would like to clarify, can we do this exercise if we have strabismus in one eye? And what other exercises would you recommend for someone with strabismus?

[@corina6627]

Thanks I’m going to give this a try , great advice ❤

[@DrRupaWong]

You’re welcome 😊Let me know how what you think!

[@corina6627]

@@DrRupaWong I had the op wen I was 6 it was very painful and did absolutely nothing to correct it. I’m going to try this as I remember the doctor doing this at my appointments ❤️

[@DrRupaWong]

@@corina6627 I'm so sorry it didn't help. I hope the exercises do!

[@corina6627]

@@DrRupaWong thank you 🌸🌼💕

[@kiara38718]

​@@corina6627did you felt a change now??

[@Brummie666]

Hello doctor, could I also ask what to do for the other way around please? I'm 65 and up close my vision is fine, as the distance increases my vision starts to double, any help would be very appreciated

[@rekhakrishnakumar8279]

Is this exercise good for esotropia also please advise mam

[@alexanderberiom3660]

How long do you suggest to do this? to strengthen eye muscles, like 20 reps daily? thanks for any info

[@joshuafrons1725]

Hello, I have exotropia, which is much worse when looking in the distance. Is there anything I could do about this?

[@Thatsmessedupman]

Are there any exercises for divergence if you have esotropia?

[@HarrisKhans]

Does this help with vertical heterophoria (Bincular vision dysfunction)? thanks

[@tirth5193]

Will it help in hypertropia ma'am? i have a slight hypertropic eye Please response

[@anja3119]

Hi doctor i have all the syptoms But my eye goes inward not outward? Is that normal? It only happenes when I sometimes look in the mirror or have a video call with somebody. Anyway I am doing your excercise and i hope it will help!

[@amangurung6617]

Is it beneficial for far distance

[@s_in_between]

Can we do these eyes exercises if having the condition of Thyroid Eyes Disease?

[@user-oj1zl1tc6d]

I recently went to Spain because a friend of a friend suggested they had tremendous doctors in the eye industry so I decided to get a passport and a plane ticket. When I got to Spain it was difficult since I don’t speak Spanish but found a eye surgeon that spoke English very well. He suggested I get plastic ring cornea laser surgery and that it would improve my eye. Anyways, I was told the surgery would be 12 minutes, the doctor put in the wrong rings inside my eyes so I was told he was going to take them out and had to wait for someone to deliver these new plastic rings for my eyes. The surgery ended up being almost a hour long and he double worked on my eye since he put the wrong rings inside my eyes and had to take them out and put new ones inside my eye. I was in the worst pain of my life after the surgery not sure why. I was told it wouldn’t be mad but my guess was because of the mistake that they made. When I went to see the doctor he said it was a perfect surgery but I had doubts because I lost almost all my vision. I went from having 15-40 sometimes 20-40 to having 20-800 and it was right after the surgery. When I told the doctor that I lost my vision and that my eyes are not working together he began to question me and got agitated it seemed like. He told me I didn’t need glasses so I thought maybe it’s because I just got surgery it’s only been three days after a week I went back he went from saying I didn’t need glasses to saying I’m going to give you glasses and that it would take a year and a half to be better. Im very upset because my gut instinct always told me why would I go to Spain when im an American citizen and america has the best doctors. I should of listened to my gut instinct because I had a feeling something awful would happen to me. This doctor made a mistake when he double worked on my eye but after the surgery said it was a succes, I immediately lost all my vision which made me think back to the surgery and how he made a mistake and began to question this doctor and if he’s mistake is the reason I lost my vision. Because I am not a citizen from Spain I can’t do anything about it so I basically got robbed from the most special thing a human being can have is to have your eye sight to being almost blind it feels like in one eye. My life isn’t the same since the surgery and to be quite honest I want to kill myself because I can’t do anything that I used to do before. My life has become so much harder. I wish there was something I could do. For patients that got surgery for plastic rings to shake your cornea with laser are we able to get LASIK or prk? It would mean so much if someone could suggest something and point me in the right direction. Thank you everyone and hope everyone has a blessed day. God bless everyone

[@pathoftheuknown9709]

What exercises do you recommend for estigmatism and lazy eye

[@aaronr.oberes6698]

Hi, can this be done by wearing or not wearing eyeglasses?

[@Mohan-hl5bs]

What exercise do you suggest for distance,I see two images at distance,are spectacles to be worn , please help me ll❤l

[@Shahryarkazi]

Hi Dr Wong I am facing double vision on my left eye of certain area from distance but i can see single when things are closer to mw any help medicine and extra excersises please help me

[@isaacparra7735]

Does it work for esotropia ?

[@otiebrown9999]

Hi Dr. Rupa, I always post here, because you are the first Ophthalmologist to help her three children with life-time prevention - of myopia! This is achieved by greatly limiting "accommodation", for all close work. I just wish I had been able to do this when I was growing up.

[@lime3620]

What do you mean by greatly limiting "accommodation"?

[@otiebrown9999]

​​@@lime3620 Thanks for your question. Assume an, " Emmetropia", eye. Refraction exactly 0.0 Diopters. A kid can easily read a 6 inches ( -6 Diopters, by his accommodation). Atropine limits range of accommodation, to say 2 Diopters. This means the kids AVERAGE accommodation will drastically change, because of Atropine use. This will also prevent the kid from. Reading at 6 inches. A mass of primate data, says it exactly that way. Your LAMP and ATOM studies show this to be true. That is why I support your use of Atropine, before your 3 kids are actually nearsighted. Prevention is our only hope - in the future.

[@otiebrown9999]

@@lime3620 1) using Atropine as Rupa is doing it. 2) Limit of nose on page reading, as Rupa is doing it. 3) Using a plus lens for close work - as I am doing it.

[@winesoup6907]

Hi doc..how about seeing double when it's far away? Like I don't have blurry vision (I do wear reading glasses about +2.00) but when I drive or even looking at an object/person about 10 feet away I am seeing double. Worst is when sitting in a movie theater (farthest seat) and the big screen makes the double vision worse I often have to occasionally close one eye to help seeing as a 'single' object. I'm frustrated cause the optometrists/docs I've seen they all said I'm 'fine' and only have negligible .25 cylindrical. Any recommended exercise? and how do I really train my eyes to focus to a single object seems it's easier for me to cross my eyes out instead! I found out about this double vision cause I googled it myself! Thanks for your advice in advance!

[@moralesb23]

Should this exercise be done if one of my eyes goes in instead of outward?

[@vandanarokade8693]

Dr when we do a pencil excercise then what we need a 🌑 dark ness suround us can you please tell me 🙏

[@emaanhassan_2004]

I have esotropia is there any eye exercises that I can do

[@arjun__PM]

Is this pencil excersice work for esotropia?

[@jhalakbharti]

My right eye is -4 what can i do to improve it

[@mustseevideos7777]

Thank you. My eye doctor told me that eye exercises don't work and gave me glasses which I promptly lost (subconsciously on purpose). I really believe I can heal my eyesight. Thank you?!

[@HuzaifaQamar-im3ge]

You are ok right now

[@hightech6223]

dr does it help for left eye outer devation exotropia

[@khushidhanvij4576]

Will this exercise work for hypertropia ?

[@rajeshnair79]

Hello doctor, I survived brain stroke seven years back. Post stroke I had double vision which gradually came down however I still have 5-10% to normalise. Currently I can’t focus immediately and it will take sometime. My eyeballs move slight up and down all the time exactly to say it vibrates. I am not driving since then. Do you have any exercises treat this? Currently I’m 44 and I suffered stroke when I was 37.

[@shruthimohan5043]

Hi mam.. hope u wil reply.. can squint eyes be corrected?

[@kunchoklhamo1991]

Hi Dr. Rupa. My 26-month baby having the problem. When she looks far distance, her left eye goes in a different direction. I heard it's a lazy eye. So can u suggest home remedy to resolve this problem? She don't have problem till one yr. After that she is having the problem . Please help me out .

[@a.brownlee2775]

What are some of the best excersises for esotropia?

[@zissler1]

Is it different if my eyes are in normal resting position slightly apart at all times, but I only really notice it when I read?

[@worldview730]

Can this also help with Scintillating Scotoma?

[@kanttouchthis3716]

Is this test for exotropia or esotropia

[@taherahjenkins5067]

I had a stroke and had eye surgery what exercise u say trying at home for my eyes

[@indrajeetkumarmaurya7539]

Hello doctor, I was using mobile late night in dark room for 2 hours everyday But one day sudden i saw ghost like image (transparent shadow appear on the top of the word just like a double vision) also blurred vision & eye strain. whenever I use any electronic device like mobile, Laptop, and also reading books for 30 min to 1 hour. After taking rest 30 min problem will disappear. I don't have any double vision problem. when I woke in the morning, the problem persists only after using mobile or laptop or while reading books. I am suffering from this problem since 3 years. I took complete medical checkup, I have done pencil pushups exercise but I didn't get any response.

[@emonahmed-uw7xr]

My doctor recommend this❤

[@DrRupaWong]

That's great to hear!

[@emonahmed-uw7xr]

But mam in my case pen goining to not double, is it ok?

[@josephcano-uz7bi]

I'm acrosseye if I do your exercise I see double if I put an object in the center of the two eyes

[@harshagowda5065]

Can I do come to nose ..and can I do or not reverse medam ?

[@ANUSANTHOSH-yv9el]

I have hypertropia in the right eye can it be corrected with this excersise

[@Aamna9537]

hi doctor i have lazy eye what should i do for this

[@Rainb0ww]

Hi Dr.Wong.. what is vision therapy? How well is that effective?

[@DrRupaWong]

Hey Sugu! Visions therapy is exercises that are done to improve vision. It can be very effective for some people, it just depends on the condition.

[@content_collage]

Please answer this. If the pencil gets blur but remains single then it is fine?

[@MsItalianspice]

I have been diagnosed with C.I. I am almost 65 I did have many concussions.

[@DrRupaWong]

So sorry, Mirella! Thank you for sharing your experience. I appreciate you being here!

[@basspig]

I don't have convergence at any distance. It gets worse as the day wears on. My left eye is rotated about 20 to 30° versus my right eye.

[@DrRupaWong]

Thank you for sharing! Have you tried any exercises? If so, have they helped at all?

[@basspig]

@@DrRupaWong Exercises used to give temporary relief. I would do them before watching a film with subtitles and it would give me 5-10 minutes of relief. That was a couple years ago. Now my eyes are so misaligned that I cannot get fusion even with exercises before watching a film. I see two rows of text, one that is level and the other slanting uphill about 25-30 degrees now.

[@DrRupaWong]

@@basspig I'm so sorry you struggle with that. Just know you are not alone!

[@basspig]

@@DrRupaWong it's getting so that I can't really accomplish much work that involves close precision.

[@ZeeshanKhan-ex7mp]

@@basspig go opticians get glasses for it

[@rajon69]

Does this help in Squint?

[@mohsinranjha3608]

Greetings! I'm 21 years old. My VA of left eye is 6/18. I've also present complaint of Inward Deviation of Left Eye. Esotropia problem in Left eye. By doing these exercises regular can I solve my problem. Please reply

[@maenad1231]

Would it be really stupid to try to use minoxidil as an eyelash growth serum or would it only be mildly stupid? I’m getting desperate to get longer lashes but don’t wanna damage them in the process with extensions or perms & I don’t have tons of money for latisse

[@DrRupaWong]

You definitely do not want to use minoxidil near the eyes.

[@londondisc]

Dr Wong just to comment that I have been avoiding optometrist for more than 2 years because of the tension created by them. I live in UK and optician shops are owned by Optromesist who make a sale when selling spectacles at a higher prescription than required. If prescription doesn't go up the customer doesn't buy new glasses. For the last 6 years visiting optician shop for eye test they put the prescription up. It was with very great difficulty that I found a very good optometrist who agreed with me and said that at this rate you will be reading a book 8 inches away. She kept my original prescription without any change. Should optometrist be warned that what they are doing is unethical and wrong.

[@SUNOBALKO]

*SHOULD I WEAR MY -3.75 POWER EYE GLASSES WHILE PERFORMING THIS EYE EXERCISE* ? OR I'VE TO REMOVE THIS SPECS WHILE DOING THIS EXERCISE?

[@wtz_under]

i heard from many who had surgery on it, but later redeveloping it. what underlying issue causes that

[@kevcatnip7589]

My eye doctor noticed a turn in my eye, Ihad cataracts surgery 4 weeks ago,, is this normal or connected with the surgery

[@jesseb9362]

My toddlers left eye, goes inward when she focuses on something up close, but her right eye seems to stay straight forward, will this work for her?

[@zuzuzu7571]

Does this exercise help esotropia eyes?

[@rikudou947]

Does this work for people with Duane syndrome type 3 ?

[@h.m4612]

I have had a problem focusing my vision for 8 years and every time Danny tries to read my eyes hurt. what is the solution

[@ashispradhan5730]

Can esotropia do this exercise?