As you know, we encourage our patients to change from “face down” to “look up” lifestyles!
Our providers at Caring Medical FL recommend prism glasses (also known as horizontal reading prism glasses) which are designed to provide a unique way of reading or viewing things without straining your neck. These glasses allow you to view objects at a 90-degree angle below the normal field of vision. They are often used to help with reading or viewing television without bending the neck forward into the flexed position.
Who should wear these glasses? Those with cervical instability most certainly should be using prism glasses, as well as those who have cervical curve irregularities or both.
Let’s remember that cervical instability is a progressive disorder, meaning left untreated, it will progress, and the neck structures will continue to degenerate. Cervical instability can produce a wide array of symptoms including vertebral insufficiency, radiculopathy, whiplash associated disorder, neck pain, post-concussion syndrome, cervicocranial syndrome, spondylosis, headaches, stenosis, resulting in many different symptoms. These symptoms include anxiety, balance issues, cognitive impairment, brain fog, insomnia, swallowing difficulties, memory issues, nausea/vomiting, ringing in the ears, eye pain or pressure, hearing issues, GI disturbances – and the list goes on.
If correction is not initiated, the cervical curve progressives from a normal lordotic curve (C-shape) to a military curve (straight), to a kyphotic curve (reverse C) to a severe “S” (or snake) curve, resulting in crippling degeneration.
Prism glasses allow you to perform functions such as reading or viewing your devices, without conforming to a forward head posture. This is especially useful for patients who have been given restrictions on forward head movement or are using cervical collars – which is many of our patients!
Prism glasses come in different shapes and sizes. Many patients love the extremely lightweight version for comfort. Other versions are a tad heavier but provide space to wear over your regular glasses.
We encourage you to continue working on your posture every day. Hold your devices/books up, set your computer screens to where you are looking up at them, and consider using prism glasses to keep looking up!
