Bates Method Reviewed

The Origins

William H. Bates, M.D. was the founder of an approach to eye and vision care now taking his name: The Bates Method. He lived 1860-1931.

The Debate

There is much debate (some quite heated) as to the effectiveness of the program. Advocates on both sides tend to dig in, with eye care specialists, scientists, and vision professionals on one side and Bates enthusiasts on the other.

The Middle Ground

Here, at avoidglasses we find ourselves in the middle. For reasons which will be noted below, we only recommend certain parts of the Bates Method. On the other hand, we do not encourage an unquestioning use of modern eye and vision solutions. eg Glasses, contact lenses, and surgery.

The Eye Care Industry

The nett weight of our research suggests there is a vital role to be played by optometrists, and vision specialists. However, there is also too much blind acceptance (pardon our pun) of the solutions offered. Natural means of vision health should be the first, but well informed solution.

The Bates Fans

The Bates Method has many followers, but do the exercises promoted really address the serious vision issues. Particularly refractive errors. The Bates program may lack depth when it comes to the muscles, suspensory ligaments, synchronization, and neural patterns and habits of these refractive errors.

Of course, it must be said that some of Bates techniques are good. There is nothing wrong with relaxation techniques for the eyes. However, there is a danger in this: people who place to much faith in such a system may delay seeking professional advice. There are some vision issues where early treatment is very important. It is important to be sure what vision issues you are actually dealing with before locking into any solution!

The Power and Motivation of Both Industries!

There is a significant home grown industry promoting Eye Exercises. Many of them! It is of concern that so much of what is being promoted contains very simple exercises. Many of which, while excellent for general wellbeing of the eye and health, do not deal adequately with vision issues.

People Want Help

There are many people who desperately seek a natural solution to vision issues, and so they should. I was very keen to find a natural solution.You can too.

The Solution

It can be very difficult to sift out the facts from fiction! We suggest three simple steps:

First, know what vision issues you are dealing with.

Second, try to understand how your eyes work and the causes of your problem. After all, if we don’t know the cause, how can we be sure we have the right solution?

Third, Once you know the causes, find exercises, or treatment or both that deals with your specific problems.

The Verdict on Bates

The negative side: Extract from Wikipedia (under Bates Method):

Although some people believe that they have been helped by following Bates’ principles, his techniques have not been shown to objectively improve eyesight,^[2] and his main physiological proposition – that the eyeball changes shape to maintain focus – is demonstratively false.^[3] In Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science, mathematical journalist Martin Gardner characterized Bates’ book as “a fantastic compendium of wildly exaggerated case records, unwarranted inferences, and anatomical ignorance”.^[3] Gardner suggested that Bates’ techniques may seem to work, to a limited extent, due to the eyes adjusting to seeing without glasses when they are put aside.^[1]

Critics of the Bates method not only deny its efficacy, but go on to cite potential negative consequences for those who attempt to follow it, namely that they might overexpose their eyes to sunlight, put themselves and others at risk by not wearing their corrective lenses while driving, or neglect conventional eye care, possibly allowing serious conditions to develop.^[3]^[4]=

The Positive side:

In spite of this negative view, there are many techniques from Bates which we believe are beneficial. For specific comment on some of the techniques used by Bates see our Review of Eye Exercises. Perhaps the negative press about the Bates Method comes because people either claim, or expect too much too much from it.

In short, we believe the Bates Methods tend to be on a basic level, and should only be relied on as such.There are a far greater range of eye exercises available today.

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Bates Method Reviewed