Chronic headache amelioration with prismatic lens treatment of vertical heterophoria

December 21, 2015

Presented at the American Headache Society 54th Annual Scientific Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, June 2012

Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify the reduction of headache symptoms with the use of prismatic lenses when treating chronic headache patients concomitantly diagnosed with Vertical Heterophoria (VH).

Conclusion: In patients with chronic headache and VH, treatment with prismatic lenses resulted in marked reduction of all metrics for headache, which was positively correlated with their perception of overall VH symptom reduction. Treatment of VH concomitantly resulted in marked reduction of all metrics for dizziness and anxiety. Identification of VH in patients with chronic headache is therefore very desirable given the effective treatment available. While VH appears common in our population of headache patients, further studies will be required to determine prevalence of VH in the general headache population.

Read the AHS Abstract (PDF)

Category: Published Academic Articles

About Dr. Cheryl Berger Israeloff

Dr. Cheryl specializes in the optometric treatment of dizziness and headaches utilizing the Feinberg method. She is the only practitioner in the state of New York trained by Dr. Debby Feinberg of Vision Specialists of Michigan. Dr. Cheryl is a graduate of Cornell University and SUNY College of Optometry.

“I’ve had headaches for years. They’ve been called migraines. I’ve tried all types of pain medications, but I still get headaches.”
“My neck and the back of my head and shoulders really bother me. Massage and neck adjustments seem to help, but only for a short while.”
“Lately, I’ve been getting more and more bouts of lightheadedness and dizziness. It seems worse when I bend down to pick something up and get up quickly. I feel uncoordinated and unsteady. When I walk, I often bump into things.”
“When I am in a large department store or crowd, I feel rather uncomfortable and anxious.”
“I’ve seen multiple doctors, had a CAT scan and MRI, and all of the doctors say that I am fine. However, I am still getting dizzy and having severe headaches.”

BVD Questionnaire

Testimonials

Prior to being treated by Dr. Cheryl, I constantly felt off balance. I had suffered from frequent migraines since I was 12 years old. I often suffered from neck/ back pain, and always felt like I was straining my neck and/or tilting my head to focus on the computer. My family had always noticed that I walked a bit sideways as well, but they attributed that to me being "clumsy". I had awful anxiety about walking down flights of stairs or through the mall, as I always had this irrational fear of falling. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression, as I would tend to avoid social situations where I felt uncomfortable or not in control. At my annual eye exam, Dr. Cheryl asked how my migraines had been. I casually mentioned that I was having dizzy spells and felt off balance. As Dr. Cheryl went through a series of questions, it seemed like she was reading off a script of my symptoms. She started to explain binocular vision dysfunction and asked if I would consider a neuro visual test that may be able to determine if I was a candidate for the type of treatment she was involved in. I was skeptical, but desperate. The tests administered by Dr. Cheryl produced black and white, concrete results. I was blown away by how clear it was that this "visual vertigo" I was experiencing was not only completely legitimate, but treatable. My skepticism disappeared immediately when Dr. Cheryl had me wear a trial pair of glasses with prisms in them. I felt taller, grounded, and completely in control. My glasses have made a tremendous difference in my everyday life. I feel balanced and aware of my surroundings. I no longer catch myself tilting my head while reading through pages of documents on my computer, or tilting my head to get a better view of the TV. It is more than a change in my prescription or a "clearer view," it is an entire perspective change. I have not had a single migraine in 6 months - I am still in shock when I say those words. My dizzy spells have subsided, as well. When I am not wearing my glasses, which is rare, I can immediately feel the difference in my equilibrium. I would never have guessed that all of these symptoms and subsequent issues, were vision related. Dr. Cheryl was 100% supportive and genuinely concerned about my comfort and progress throughout this whole journey. I would, without hesitation, recommend her to anyone that suffers from these symptoms. She is a true life saver and is passionate about investing her time and energy into this growing field.

A. S.

Navigation

Read the AHS Abstract (PDF)

About Dr. Cheryl Berger Israeloff

Testimonials