The Bates Method

Introduction

The Bates Method is a method of curing imperfect eyesight, originated by William H. Bates M. D., and documented in his book Perfect Sight Without Glasses, his Better Eyesight magazines, as well as articles he published in various medical journals.

The aim of the method is to remove the bad visual habits—that is the strain to see—that underlies visual problems. This strain manifests itself physiologically in several different ways—like creating tension in the muscles that surround the eyeball, as well as in the rest of the body.

Although the findings that this method is based on, seldom have been thoroughly considered by most eye scientists, there are a lot of experimental data to back it up. The method is also solidly grounded on common sense, as well as a huge amount of testimonial evidence. People have used the Bates Method for a long time—and it works!

People with refractive errors almost always complain about tension, headaches, eyestrain aso. It isn't far-fetched to deduce that these people might have some tension in the muscles surrounding the eyeball. Tension (or co-contraction) in these muscles will cause them to apply pressure to the eyeball. It needs just simple mechanical considerations to show how this pressure can, and will, cause the anatomical changes of the eye that correlates with refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism (the type of refractive error will depend on how the tension is distributed among the extraocular muscles).

It is true that some people fail with the method. As the method is educational in nature, it is difficult to guarantee a person's success or failure with it. However, if the person is able to understand and demonstrate the principles of the method, he will succeed.

The focus of the Bates Method is at removing mental strain that underlies the physical tension. All the elements of the method are simply different ways of obtaining and securing relaxation

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