Forget Rehab, Now There's Wiihab

By Sean Sadri - NCC News
March 23, 2008

Syracuse, NY - Rehabing from injuries can be a long, tedious process. Lifting weights and walking on a treadmill are often necessary aspects of physical therapy, but even the thought of getting healthier isn't always enough to motivate patients.

"Let's face it physical therapy is not that exciting," said Cecilia Adams, a physical therapy patient. "Just to do thirty leg lifts. It has to be done, but it's not fun."

To make physical therapy more enjoyable, therapists are ditching the treadmill and making their patients break a sweat in front of a television screen.

Nintendo's New Role in Rehabilitation
The Nintendo Wii has been in stores for more than a year, and the console is still the hottest commodity in the video game world. The Wii consoles, which are in millions of households worldwide, utilize a wireless controller that mimics a player's actions on screen. But, people are finding different uses for the Wii. Physical therapists are coupling Nintendo's new system with more traditional forms of rehab, creating what the media is calling Wiihabilitation.

Therapeutic recreation specialist Donna Sims uses the Wii almost daily for many of her patients because all patients can find game to suit their health needs and personal interests.

"It's totally individual and that's the beautiful thing about the Wii," Sims said. "There are so many games that we can meet everyone's needs in one way or another."

Sims and the staff at University Rehabilitation primarily use the Wii Sports game, which allows patients to compete in up to five different sports while regaining their balance and strength.

What Patients Think
Nancy Steele of Syracuse is retired and has been at University Hospital for about two weeks, rehabing from a broken leg. Her experience with rehab has been extensive, after suffering for years with connective tissue problems and chronic fatigue.

"The problem with healing from something like is that you can get very depressed," Steele said.

Since using the Nintendo Wii for therapy, she says her depression has subsided, and she is healing faster than expected.

Cecilia Adams, who is using the Wii to regain balance from a fractured ankle, said, "It's something to look forward to for enjoyment, never mind that it helps you."

Therapists are convinced the Wii is the best of both worlds because it is as therapeutic as it is enjoyable, and, as the games become more advanced, the Wii may become as much a part of physical therapy as dumbbells.