Comparing Pencil Push-up and Cat Card Exercises in Patients with Convergence Insufficiency

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of two widely practiced home-based convergence exercises - cat card exercise (CCE) and pencil push-up exercise (PPE) - in patients with symptomatic convergence insufficiency.

This retrospective observational study was conducted from June 2023 to June 2024 in the Department of Ophthalmology of a Tertiary Care Centre in North India. In this study, eighty patients aged 10 to 35 years, all exhibiting the best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20 and a receded near point of convergence (NPC) greater or equal to 7.5 cm were included. Participants were arbitrarily allocated to receive either PPE or CCE, each lasting 15 minutes a day, five days a week, for six weeks. Patients were reassessed after the six-week period. Enhancement in NPC was the main outcome. Data were analysed employing suitable statistical tests, with a significance threshold established at P 0.05.

Both CCE and PPE groups demonstrated a significant improvement in NPC after six weeks of therapy. However, the gap regarding NPC advancement in the two groups remained statistically significant (P > 0.05).

Cat card and pencil push-up exercise are both effective home-based treatment options for symptomatic convergence insufficiency, with comparable outcomes.