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Perry, a retired police officer from North Carolina, plays Wii boxing. While he focuses on perfecting his jabs and uppercuts, the game is actually helping him recover from a stroke he had last year. A stroke is the sudden loss of consciousness and voluntary movement caused by a blocked artery in the brain.
Perry says the game is helping him regain strength and feeling in his left arm. “It really helps the body to loosen up so it can do what it’s supposed to do,” Perry explains.
Across the country, hospitals and rehabilitation facilities are having patients try their hands at the Nintendo Wii. Nicknamed “Wii–habilitation,” playing the games can improve patients’ strength and coordination. It is especially useful for people recovering from strokes, broken bones, and certain types of surgery.
The Wii console has a unique, motion-sensitive wireless controller. The controller requires players to move their bodies to play Wii games such as tennis, golf, and baseball. Experts say the arm and hand movements Wii players make are similar to traditional stretching and lifting exercises performed in physical therapy.
Physical therapy is often painful. Some medical experts say playing games on the Wii distracts patients while giving them the exercise they need. Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., uses “Wiihab” for soldiers injured in Iraq. Medical center chief of occupational therapy Lt. Col. Stephanie Daugherty says the practice is great for young soldiers who are “very into” video games. “They think it’s for entertainment, but we know it’s for therapy,” she says.
Some experts want more proof that the Nintendo Wii helps the injured recover. Researchers in Minneapolis are designing a study to measure patients’ function before and after using a Wii.
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One game, Marble Mania, is especially useful to surgeons. The game involves guiding a marble through a 3-D obstacle course. Players must use small, precise movements, which is great practice for surgeons. They have to make similar delicate moves when operating on patients. Researchers are designing special Wii software just for surgeons to practice their skills.
Representatives for Nintendo say they’re happy people are finding added benefit in the product, but in the end, playing the Wii is mostly about just having fun. “It’s enjoyable,” Perry says. “I know I’m going to participate with my grandkids more when I go visit them.”
You may be a Nintendo Wii whiz, but can you master this word search?Back to Top
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