The eye muscles allow the eyes to move together as a team. The eye movement system is important in activities such as reading, tracking a moving target (ie... a baseball or tennis ball), or copying information off of the blackboard. There can be various deficiencies / defects in this system that can be diagnosed and treated. The treatment modalities can range from special eyeglasses to eye excersises (ie... Vision Therapy or Orthoptics). Once a muscle imbalance is determined during an eye exam, a special  muscle evaluation is scheduled (sensory motor exam). The evaluation will help the doctor determine the best treatment modality for the condition.

One extreme muscle imbalance is double vision. This can be either an extreme form of the deficiencies above or a serious neurological condition. Double vision that is experienced suddenly, will need a careful neurological evaluation before any treatment is instituted. This evaluation will often include imaging of the nervous system (MRI, CT scan) in order to rule out any organic cause for the double vision. If it is deternined that there is a deficiency in the muscle system, some of the same treatment modalities as above can be utilized.

Eye muscle imbalances will sometimes require eye surgery. This is best performed by a surgeon who specializes in this area.