COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME-STUDYING THE EFFECT OF GAZE STABILIZATION EXERCISE VERSUS EXTRINSIC EYE MUSCLE STRENGTHENING EXERCISE IN THE TREATMENT OF ASTHENOPIA AMONG DESKTOP USERS

Abstract

Aim: the aim of the present study is to find the effectiveness of gaze stabilization exercise and extrinsic eye strengthening exercise for asthenopia among desktop users.
Background: Asthenopia refers to eye discomfort or strain experienced by individuals after prolonged period of reading using digital screens or performing other visually intense activities. The prevalence of asthenopia was found to be 67.8% with blurred vision being the most reported symptom (27.0%). And other symptoms were eye fatigue, soreness, dryness, blurred vision, headache and difficulty in focusing. Untreated asthenopia can worsen over time, ignoring it might exacerbate the symptoms, impacting overall eye health leading to blurred vision or even long-time vision problems. There is dearth of literature on exercises for asthenopia, hence, the purpose of this study is to find the effectiveness of gaze stabilization exercise versus extrinsic eye strengthening exercise for asthenopia among desktop users.
METHODOLOGY:
Study design: Pre and post comparative study
Sample size: 60
Sampling method: simple random sampling method
Study design: Physiotherapy Outpatient Department, A.C.S Medical College and Hospital, Chennai-95 Study duration: 8-months, intervention period-12 weeks
RESULT: The results of the post-test statistical analysis for the Self-Administered Asthenopia Questionnaire showed that there was a significant statistical difference between groups A and B. The research is thus deemed to be statistically significant there by adopting the alternative hypothesis since Group-B (Gaze Stabilization Exercise) has a large statistical difference from Group-A (Eye Muscle Strengthening Exercise). CONCLUSION: This study concludes that gaze stabilization exercise shows more effective than extrinsic eye muscle strengthening exercise.