Eye Exercises after a Concussion

These instructions are for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Minds Matter Concussion Program patients when their healthcare team recommends eye exercises.

Important information about home eye exercises shortly after a concussion:

• Performing these exercises following concussion helps improve the stamina of the brain's visual and vestibular system (the body's "steady cam" feature).

• Follow the instructions below to perform the eye exercises.

The goal is to complete the eye exercises 2 times per day.

Instructions for home eye exercises:

• Do the eye exercises once in the morning and once at night with brushing teeth.

• Number of repetitions:

  • Saccades and gaze stability: Do as many repetitions as you can until you get some mild symptom increase, then do 2 more repetitions, then stop. One repetition is back and forth.

    • Write that number down on the eye exercise chart provided below.

    • Try to increase the number of repetitions for saccades and gaze stability by 3-5 repetitions every few days.

    • Target Goal:

      • ≤ 12 years old - 60-90 repetitions

      • ≥ 13 years old - 120 repetitions

  • Convergence (beads on a string and pencil push-ups): Start with 5 repetitions. If you can go further without symptoms, you can go as high as 10 repetitions.

Home eye exercise descriptions:

1. Saccades: Horizontal

Put 2 sticky notes horizontally on a wall about shoulder-width apart. Look back and forth while holding your head still.

2. Saccades: Vertical

Put 2 sticky notes vertically on the wall above. Look up and down while holding your head still.

3. Gaze Stability: Horizontal

Put a sticky note in the center of the other 4 sticky notes. Focus your eyes on the middle sticky note and shake your head side to side.

4. Gaze Stability: Vertical

Focus your eyes on the middle sticky note and nod your head up and down.

5. Convergence: Beads on a String/Brock String

• Put 3 beads on a string: one on the end, one in the middle, and one as close to you as possible but still in focus (clear).

• Start by looking at the farthest bead. Then focus on each one, getting closer to your nose.

• Each bead should be in focus (clear, not blurry).

• As your eyes get stronger during your recovery, you should be able to move the closest bead closer to your nose.

• The goal is to get the closest bead within 4 cm (1.5 inches) and complete 10 repetitions.

6. Convergence: Pencil Push-Ups

• Use a pen or pencil with letters on the side.

• Start arms-length away and keep the letters in focus as you bring the pen or pencil towards your nose.

• Once the letters get blurry, continue moving the pencil forward until they become double (try to keep them single).

• When the letters remain double, slowly go in reverse, back out to arm's length.

• Repeat for up to 10 total repetitions.

Print this eye exercise chart to keep track of the exercise you're able to do each day.

Contact your healthcare team with questions and concerns.

Reviewed on August 21, 2023, by Christina Master, MD