From the January 2002 Idaho Observer:

Dr. Banker's basics of eye care

It is of perpetual wonder that we can live in an age so technologically advanced that we can have computers and telephones but cannot convince organized medicine's health practitioners that our bodies have tremendous capacities for healing the damage we do to them if we will simply supply them with the tools to do so. The following story shows that diet and exercise can reverse degenerative eye disorders that organized opthamology recognizes as chronic. This is just one more example of how no damage is so great that it cannot be reversed -- that is if we are willing to make the lifestyle changes necessary for healing ourselves.

by Amy Worthington

After enjoying 20/20 vision for most of my life, I was naturally distressed when my eyesight gradually became so fuzzy I could no longer clearly see the food on my plate, let alone read a line of small text.

My eye doctor pronounced me a victim of presbyopia, advancing nearsightedness that afflicts almost everyone by age 40. He told me to plop a pair of glasses on my nose, but didn't mention that glasses weaken the eyes and eventually exacerbate the problems they are intended to correct. I asked him if exercises or vitamins would reverse the fuzz. He glowered at me through his extra-thick glasses and said “Not a chance.”

Neither of us knew then about Dr. Deborah Banker, a rather brilliant and innovative ophthalmologist of Malibu, California. Having spent over a million dollars on her education, Dr. Banker has developed a multi-faceted program for the correction of a variety of vision problems without invasive surgery.

Pulling together an amazing regime of eye and body exercises, diet improvement, eastern holistic techniques plus electro-magnetic therapies, she has created an amazing and successful program to improve -- and in some cases cure -- a broad range of ophthamological disorders.

Dr. Banker uses glasses to strengthen the eyes of her patients by under-prescribing lens corrections so that the eyes will be challenged to focus on their own without weakening vision.

By some stroke of good fortune, I heard Dr. Banker speaking on a radio show, then decided to try her self-help program. After receiving her vision care kit, which includes both audio and video aids, I went to work. What I learned about my condition was encouraging and empowering. Sharpness of vision gradually deteriorates because of weak muscles, both external and internal to the eye. Eye muscles atrophy from neglect until they actually change the shape of the body of the eye, affecting both focusing ability and field of vision.

The ciliary muscle, which controls the lens of the eye, needs to be exercised regularly, lest it stiffen and leave us with a very dim view. Also important is the vitreous body, the gel-like substance made of water and protein which fills the back 4/5ths of the eye. This is where vision-disrupting floaters form when the gel dehydrates as we age. Plenty of fluids, certain herbs and regular eye exercises can even mitigate the effects of this condition.

When I began using Dr. Banker's wonderful eye yoga techniques, my eye muscles felt old and tired -- petrified actually. My ciliary muscle complained painfully about having to adjust focus as I made it watch my thumbs moving from way out there to right up close. But practice makes perfect and soon my rusty old eyes were rolling around painlessly and adjusting to focus changes rather smoothly. I also worked faithfully with Dr. Banker's breathing exercises, the various eye charts and other exercise tools in the kit. I was amazed at how quickly my vision improved. Finally one day, I could actually clearly see my pancakes -- sans glasses.

What I discovered however, is that no improvement is permanent if you neglect your exercises. Keeping eye muscles in tone has to be a lifelong commitment. Improving eyesight also take patience. Most people improve by ¼ diopter per month if they are committed and consistent.

Dr. Banker's in-depth material is a valuable glossary on the structure and function of the eye, modern medicine's understanding of visual optics and refraction plus the fundamentals of eye disorders and medications. She offers amazing information on how stress and dietary deficiencies affect the eyesight. She teaches that we cannot understand the intricacies of vision until we understand circulation, relaxation, oxygenation, body meridians, massage and acupressure. Dr. Banker's basic tips on how to avoid eye strain include using low-intensity, full spectrum lighting, sitting so as not to compress the lungs, allowing your eyes to wander around the room at intervals and periodic stretching.

Dr. Banker's eye kit is a gift to those who derive great joy from seeing clearly the immense beauty of this world. She reveals fascinating Chinese secrets for good vision, which she says keeps the majority of Chinese from needing glasses. Her advice on how to use mental techniques to keep vision sharp is especially interesting. Who would think that soothing eye masks, a hot bath full of mineral salts and essential oils (which open the lungs and relax the extraocular muscles) could exponentially improve eyesight? Keeping the diet full of high-water content fruits and veggies plus critical antioxidants is another key to safeguarding vision.

How wonderful if we taught our children these things so that they would appreciate their eyesight and learn how to prevent damage and deterioration of their eyes. It is certainly never too early to learn Dr. Banker's important steps for preventing cataracts and other manifestations of eye damage and abuse.

Dr. Banker's vision care book and kit can be obtained by calling 310-317-2119. Dr. Banker's web site is www.Drbanker.com.