Training optical muscles using special machines can alleviate eye problems such as hyperopia and amblyopia, medical experts told a conference on children's eyesight yesterday.

Traditional treatment for hyperopia and amblyopia included the use of convex lenses but long-term use of such lenses can effect the development of children's eyes, color vision and retina. And such treatment was only effective for children under 12.

"Based on relative theory and machines from Taiwan and Japan, the local medical industry has worked out a therapy for children to improve their vision by optical muscles practice. Children can renovate their optical muscle function through being trained by different machines," said Dr Lou Yuefang, of the People's Liberation Army's Optical Association. "Some 240 children have tried the therapy and all reported good effects."

Myopia affects 60 percent of secondary school students.

(Shanghai Daily April 14, 2008)