WHAT TO DO
Step One
Talk with your massage therapist
about your pain and strain. During
a session, your therapist can check
you for extra tension in and around
the eyes, neck, and shoulders, then
fine-tune massage techniques to help
relieve your discomfort. Relaxation
exercises, as well as hot and cold
packs, can offer additional relief.
Step Two
Do daily eye muscle stretches,
practice self-massage, and use hot
and cold packs over your eyes. Your
massage therapist can show you how
to use these easy, inexpensive aids.
Step Three
Your bodyworker may also refer you
to another health-care professional
who can help you reduce built-up
tension. For example, a behavioral
optometrist can check to make sure
your glasses are the right prescription
and help you learn better visual
habits; a Feldenkrais practitioner
can help you change old habits, see
with less strain, and understand how
emotional stress might be affecting
your eyes; and an ergonomic
expert can help adapt your office
workstation so that it protects and
S
does not strain your eyes. B
Mary Betts Sinclair is an Oregon-based
educator and bodyworker. Learn more about
her at www.marybettssinclair.com.
Watch former Beatle Paul
McCartney demonstrate
eye-muscle stretches that
tone your eye muscles,
help develop the ability to
accommodate (adjust the
focusing lens of the eye,
so it works for both near
and far distances), and
potentially improve eyesight
at www.youtube.com/
watch?v=00XqvNwYMoc.
