OCULAR SENSOR EXAMINATION

This is the very first of our sensors. Its often causative and cant correct itself
spontaneously. Its also fragile and sensitive to trauma of the face neck cervical
spine, to neuropsychiatric treatments and to nervous system infections too.
It can be adaptative too, particularly to manducatory apparel dysfunctions.
It plays central part in the adaption of both shoulders and pelvis girdles, whatever
dysfunctions can affect other sensors. It organizes the postural system and must be
systematically assessed.

INDICATIONS
5 important signs are to be searched:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Ipsilateral tilting of scapular and pelvis girdles;

Limited neck rotation on the side of hypo-convergent eye;
Scapular girdle rotation;
Lower limb lateral rotation in supine position;
Spine and limbs pain due to muscle tensions and contractions or
vertebral dysfunctions.

SARL IRFOR Modle dpos.

ISOLATED DEFICIT OF OCULAR SENSOR

CORRECTION OF OCULAR SENSOR USING MAGNET

SARL IRFOR Modle dpos.

CLINICAL EXAMINATION

IMPORTANT ANAMNESIS POINTS

1. Medical history: ocular, traumatic, therapeutic (beware anti depressants),

neurologic, endocrinic or general issues (such as high blood pressure).
2. Functional signs: visual asthenia in the afternoon or evening, increased with
anxiety and stress. Sometimes, these signs are not present, fickle or late.

Visual troubles are not so foreground (blurred vision, reading difficulties or watching
television, visual tiredness, and sporadic diplopia).

Axial or appendicular pains are common:

Spine pains, above all high-situated (cervicalgia, occipital

neuralgia, cervicobrachial pain syndrome) associated with dorsolumbodynia;

Hard-to-relieve elbow tendinitis;

Achilles tendinitis;

Monarthralgia (knee++).

Some headaches are also common, sometimes one-sided or predominantly onesided: retro-orbital, orbito-frontal or occipito-frontal.

Visual accommodation issues can also provoke headaches. With adults, some signs
are to be looked for: clumsiness, bumping into steps, agoraphobia, and height vertigo
for example.

SARL IRFOR Modle dpos.

INSPECTION
Cervical spine
1. Possible head tilt: spontaneous preferred position, uncorrectable in the
long term and easily appreciated by the practitioner.
2. Possible adaptative torticollis from ocular origin:

Paralysis of ocular muscles innervated by the abducent nerve

(CN5) that causes neck rotation towards the paralyzed side.

Unilateral paralysis of the trochlear nerve (CN4) that causes a

rotation and tilt of head towards the sound side.

Face
The

practitioner

looks

for

ocular

axis

deviation:

heterotopia, phoria or trophia (kinds of strabismus).

Magnet test on the lateral side of hypo convergent eye

SARL IRFOR Modle dpos.

heterophoria,

POSTURAL EXAMINATION OF THE OCULAR SENSOR

Now, we consider postural troubles only caused by the ocular sensors.

Basic examination shows:

Ipsilateral shoulder and pelvic girdles tilt,

Limited neck rotation on the side of the hypo convergent eye,
Scapular girdle rotation,
A foot towards the outside when standing,
Asymmetric rotation of a lower limb in supine position.

SARL IRFOR Modle dpos.

MAGNET TEST FOR OCULAR SENSOR

This is a key-test in case of asymmetric rotation of a lower limb in supine

position.

Aim:

To diagnose an isolated ocular sensor trouble (diagnosis only).

Principle:

Neutralize the jerk of lateral rectus.

Technique: The practitioner uses a 1500 gauss magnet, north face directly applied
on the skin with tape (red face on Statipro magnets and pointed face on
Eporec magnets). This device has a muscle-relaxant effect.
The practitioner places the magnet:

at the lateral angle of the hypo convergent eye,

on the side of the shortest upper limb,
on the side of the elevated shoulder,
on the side of the elevated hip.

Results:
In case of isolated ocular sensor trouble, it can be observed straight away:
1. Both scapular and pelvic girdles back in horizontal position,
2. Head and neck rotation back in neutral position,
3. Normalization of other postural interferences.

The practitioner must remember to investigate the oculo-postural loop (oculo-motor

reflex). Furthermore, he must also remember to perform 2 maneuvers: the ocular
convergence and the head & neck rotation. A Romberg test is also interesting.
These 4 techniques are described separately.
All these tests will make the practitioner think to investigate further some aspects of
the anamnesis and sometimes refer the patient to an ophthalmologist or an
orthoptist.

SARL IRFOR Modle dpos.

SUMMARY OF TESTS AND CLINICAL SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

RELEVANT FOR AN OCULAR SENSOR TROUBLE

1. Magnet test
2. Observation of ipsilateral tilts
3. Observation of shoulder girdle rotation
4. Romberg test
5. Oculomotor reflex
6. Ocular convergence maneuver
7. Head & neck rotation test
8. Barrs vertical B type
9. Barrs vertical C type
10. Upper limbs abductors test
11. Wrists extensors test
12. Exogenous interference test

SARL IRFOR Modle dpos.