Wii-hab is a growing trend across the country. Rehabilitation professionals have begun to realize that physical therapy isn’t that much fun and have decided to do something about it.
Nintendo’s Wii, released in November 2006, is a revolutionary new gaming system that has quickly surpassed the stereotypical teen gaming set and has become a favorite of all ages. The ease of use of the controllers and the interactivity of the games makes the Wii a unique and rewarding gaming experience for people of all ages and abilities.
Rehabilitation hospitals all over the country are purchasing Wii game systems to use as part of the physical therapy routines for patients recovering from illnesses, strokes, accidents and combat injuries. Patients use the unique, motion-sensitive game controller to play games to build arm strength and enhance their reflexes and hand-eye coordination.
The most popular games played in rehab hospitals and physical therapy programs are the sports games. Wii Sports includes tennis, baseball, golf, bowling and boxing.
Because of the controller’s motion sensor, all of these games require the player to use the actual movements required in the actual sport. That is to say, the gamer must perform an actual tennis serve or golf swing for the game to work properly.
These games, except for boxing, are especially helpful for stroke patients who have regained use of only one arm. They only require the use of a single controller, whereas boxing requires the use of the controller and the nunchuk simultaneously.
According to James Osborn of Southern Illinois Healthcare, the Wii is such a powerful rehab tool because, “when people can refocus their attention from the tediousness of the physical task, they oftentimes do better.”
The Wii-hab approach to rehabilitation is being used with patients of all ages. Wakemed in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been using Wii games as a physical therapy tool with patients as young as 9 to those in their 80’s. “They think it’s entertainment, but we know it’s for therapy,” says Lt. Col. Stephanie Daugherty, chief of occupational therapy at Water Reed Army Medical Center. The Wii is useful in occupational therapy for people of all ages because it helps them redevelop the coordination to relearn daily living skills such as brushing teeth and combing hair.
Although rehab professionals can attest to the benefits of the Wii in physical and occupational therapies, there is no scientific evidence to support the theory. Sister Kenny Research Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, purchased a system last summer and is currently working with the University of Minnesota to design a study to measure patients’ function before and after Wii-hab to get hard scientific evidence as to whether it really works.
As for Nintendo, they don’t market Wii’s potential use in physical therapy but according to a spokesperson, the company is “happy to see that people are finding added benefit in rehabilitation.”
Megan Abrams - I have lived with the effects of a childhood stroke for more than half my life and offer a uniquely personal perspective on disability.
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