Orthoptics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specialized branch of the healthcare field that concentrates on the assessment and rehabilitation of visual disorders linked to binocular vision and eye alignment issues
2. An area dedicated to both evaluating and managing visual impairments stemming from improper eye coordination and alignment, promoting effective visual function
3. A discipline focused on diagnosing and treating visual dysfunction related to eye teaming, alignment, and movement analysis

Etymology: Orthoptics is a compound built from two Greek-derived parts: "ortho-", from Greek "orthos" meaning straight, correct or upright, and "optics", from Greek "optikos", relating to sight. Put together, the name points to the straightening or correcting of vision, which is exactly what the field does: it treats misalignment of the eyes, such as squint, by training the muscles and coordination that move the eyes together. The "optics" half is the older and more familiar of the two. It descends from "optikos", linked to "optesthai", the future of the verb "horan", to see, and it came into English through Latin "optica". The "ortho-" element is the one that gives the term its specific sense, borrowed as a combining form and attached to a branch of vision science that studies how the eyes work as a pair. Orthoptics names a practice rather than a theory, which is why its compound structure reads so plainly: it is the discipline of setting the eyes straight.

Synonyms: vision therapy, eye training, eye exercises, visual therapy, optometric therapy