Can glasses or patching be used to treat convergence insufficiency?
One method of therapy to resolve convergence insufficiency is the use of base-out prisms which force the system to work harder to converge. They are used only during short periods of time while performing therapy as they are very tiring to the eyes. Base-in prisms can be used to artificially align the eyes for reading; however, their use will make it unlikely that the patient will develop stronger convergence on their own. Patching is not an option to strengthen convergence because wearing a patch will disrupt any ability to exercise binocular function (use the two eyes together). Occasionally, patients will patch one eye temporarily in order to relieve double vision during times when a large amount of near work is required.
