Nintendo Wii Becomes a Rehabilitation Tool in Hospitals

By Chip Chick

January 3, 2008 at 7:38 pm

wiiphys Nintendo Wii Becomes a Rehabilitation Tool in HospitalsThe Nintendo Wii was created for entertainment purposes but it’s evolved in to an internet device, as well as even a dedicated exercising tool with the upcoming Wii Fit game. But aside from its traditional uses, some Physical Therapists at Ohio State University Medical Center’s Dodd Hall Rehabilitation Hospital in Columbus have transformed it in to a therapeutic tool as well. One patient named Franklin Perry has been using the Wii to rebuild the muscles in his immobilized right side that resulted from a stroke. This all started when Robbie Winget, an occupational therapist at Dodd Hall heard that a rehab hospital in Alberta, Canada was using the video game system as a rehab tool. After trying the Wii out for himself he realized that the could help patients build balance, coordination, endurance and upper and lower body strength. Since then the hospital has been using the Wii for the past few months to help people recovering from strokes and spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries. Patients have also been using it’s News and Weather channels to keep up to date and improve their brian function. On average, the patients at Dodd Hall undergo a total of three hours of daily therapy and work with the Wii for about 30 minutes per day two to three times per week. (Source: Yahoo News)



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