Tired eyes, blurred vision, burning and redness of the eyes. These are some symptoms of eye strain that we can experience in the evening, perhaps after several hours spent in front of a monitor for work. How to bring relief to eyesight and improve visual acuity? A study shows that some periocular massage exercises can improve ocular blood flow and vision. The research was published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork by a Japanese team (Hayashi et al, Int J Ther Massage Bodywork, 2021).
The experiment
The researchers recruited 40 adults, aged between 20 and 30 years. The volunteers were divided into four groups. The first group was asked to perform 5 minutes a day, every day for two months, a manual eye massage at specific acupressure points. The second group used a special face roller, again for 5 minutes a day every day for two months, the third group a mask capable of making an automatic massage around the eyes, finally the fourth group was used as a control. Visual acuity and ocular blood flow were assessed before and after the massage.
The benefits of eye massage
What emerged is that the manual massage and that performed through the mask have allowed, in the short term, to increase the flow of blood that feeds the eyes and the optic nerve and also to improve vision. It is not clear how the massage could improve visual acuity, but it is hypothesized that it acted at the level of the eye's accommodation capacity. It should be noted that the massage improved vision in those with poor visual acuity.
How to practice eye massage
But what is the manual massage in the acupressure points that seems to bring so much benefit to the eyes? Close your eyes. Place your thumbs at the base of your eyebrows, closest to your nose. Make 8 small circles by pressing lightly. Then place the thumb and index finger of the right or left hand, it is indifferent, on the sides of the nose at the highest point where the nose joins the forehead. Press lightly towards the face, then massage by sliding the skin outwards, away from the face, repeating the movement 8 times. Draw an imaginary vertical line through the pupils and a horizontal line through the nostrils. Where these points meet, place the index fingers. Perform 8 circular massages. Then press your thumbs on the temples, the other fingers curl slightly. With the knuckles of the index fingers, gently slide the upper lids sideways 4 times, then repeat with the lower lids. The sequence must be repeated 8 times.
