-By Jordan MeddySyracuse, N.Y. - Syracuse resident Cecilia Adams loves to play bowling and tennis on the Nintendo Wii video game system.
“I think it’s great. It’s a beautiful picture, it’s innovative. Instead of just sitting in a chair and pushing buttons you’re actually up and moving. I think it’s a lot of fun,” she said.
But Adams is not your typical player. She uses the Wii as part of a physical therapy program. Adams shattered her ankle five months ago and has only recently been able to begin putting pressure on it again. Hospitals and therapists around the country are adopting the Wii to help patients rehabilitate from a variety of injuries, from broken bones to brain traumas.
“To an individual who has a neglect to one side of the body, possibly they’ve had a stroke, we can position them in a way so they have to concentrate on working on that affected side,” said Donna Sims, therapeutic specialist at University Hospital.
The key lies in the Wii’s unique motion-sensitive controller, which requires players to get up off the couch and perform the movements they wish to simulate in the game. The most helpful and commonly used game in physical therapy is “Wii Sports,” which includes tennis, bowling, golf, baseball, and boxing. These games may still not seem like much of a workout, but therapists say even the required shifts in weight can teach bones and joints to handle the pressure.
“You start with the easier games first, the bowling and the tennis. Just a little bit of light weight shifting. And eventually we can progress to baseball or boxing, where you really have to step and transfer the weight onto the other foot,” said Ray Manzano, a physical therapist who uses the Wii with some of his patients at the Fahey Rehabilitation Center in Syracuse.
Not only is the Wii effective, it is fun, an element which should not be underrated according patients such as Adams. Therapists and rehabbers agree the video games provide an emotional benefit as important as the physical one, improving a rehab experience that can be mundane and sometimes frustrating.
“Let’s face it physical therapy is not that exciting, to just do 30 leg lifts or the different things that have to be done,” said Adams. “It’s necessary but it’s not a great amount of fun. At least that gives you something to look forward to and something else to do.
A technology designed mainly for kids has found a whole new purpose, helping people heal and sparing them – a little – from the process.
The key lies in the Wii’s unique motion-sensitive controller, which requires players to get up off the couch and perform the movements they wish to simulate in the game. The most helpful and commonly used game in physical therapy is “Wii Sports,” which includes tennis, bowling, golf, baseball, and boxing. These games may still not seem like much of a workout, but therapists say even the required shifts in weight can teach bones and joints to handle the pressure.“You start with the easier games first, the bowling and the tennis. Just a little bit of light weight shifting. And eventually we can progress to baseball or boxing, where you really have to step and transfer the weight onto the other foot,” said Ray Manzano, a physical therapist who uses the Wii with some of his patients at the Fahey Rehabilitation Center in Syracuse.
Not only is the Wii effective, it is fun, an element which should not be underrated according patients such as Adams. Therapists and rehabbers agree the video games provide an emotional benefit as important as the physical one, improving a rehab experience that can be mundane and sometimes frustrating.
“Let’s face it physical therapy is not that exciting, to just do 30 leg lifts or the different things that have to be done,” said Adams. “It’s necessary but it’s not a great amount of fun. At least that gives you something to look forward to and something else to do.
A technology designed mainly for kids has found a whole new purpose, helping people heal and sparing them – a little – from the process.
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