Integrating Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) into the treatment of athletes

Extract from an article on www.kine-formations.com, written by Anne-Emilie Cayre-Castel, physiotherapist.

Dynamic visual acuity is often little known to physiotherapists.
Already used by physiotherapists specializing in vestibular rehabilitation, it is also very useful in the treatment of sports patients.

Studies have shown that 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and top sportsmen and women have a higher AVD than amateur sportsmen and women.

Many healthcare professionals and sports coaches are already using it. Orthoptists work with sports teams for visual training in rugby, basketball, driving, baseball, etc., and we are even seeing the emergence of centers dedicated to improving visual performance.

Without taking the place of an ophthalmologist or orthoptist, who will carry out a sensory-motor assessment beforehand, I hope this article will enable you to integrate DSA work very easily with your patients.

Why work on this DSA?

• It is functional. Sportsmen and women may have good static visual acuity, but what's important on the pitch is their ability to stabilize the image as quickly as possible on the retina, so as to process the information as quickly as possible.
• It optimizes sports performance:
  • Improved reaction times
  • An increase in the peripheral visual field
  • Improved hand-eye coordination
• It avoids sporting accidents by helping to anticipate future actions.
• It helps recover image stabilization after head trauma or concussion

Very easy to set up quickly with your sports patients, don't hesitate to work on their visual systems in conjunction with your usual care.
If you want to go further, there is now a wide range of software available not only to measure DSA, but also to train it. Virtual reality and stroboscopic goggles are new tools for enhancing visual performance.