Recently the ITV programme This Morning featured an ‘eye yoga instructor’. It was suggested that eye yoga could enhance short-sighted vision and reduce reliance on corrective lenses. Myopia Focus, an organisation created to raise awareness of the condition, noted that the claim was not supported by scientific evidence and directly contributed to misinformation, being that it had already been followed up by an article in The Daily Mirror.
During the segment, the instructor told presenters that strengthening eye muscles was important but noted benefits of eye yoga were only anecdotal, saying that she became an expert when asked by her employers GymBox to create some classes.
Myopia Focus wrote to the producers of This Morning saying: ‘Eye exercises do not address the primary underlying cause of the most prominent form of myopia – axial myopia. Axial myopia is caused by the elongation of the eyeball, and no amount of exercise can reduce this growth. While eye yoga might help alleviate eyestrain and promote relaxation, it does not correct refractive errors such as myopia, hypermetropia or astigmatism’.
Unfortunately, because this was broadcast on a national television channel and published in a UK newspaper it would be easy for a member of the public to assume that the article has been thoroughly researched and supported by evidence. This is simply not the case.
The best advice is to have a thorough eye examination at a reputable practice and speak to your qualified optometrist for an explanation or advice.
For further information see www.myopiafocus.org