The Healing Power Of Wii

Wii games used for rehab after strokes, surgery, combat injuries
by Lindsey Tanner

Some call it "Wiihabilitation." Nintendo's Wii video game system, already a hit among teen gamers, is fast becoming a craze in rehab therapy for patients recovering from strokes, broken bones, surgery and even combat injuries. The usual stretching and lifting exercises that help the sick or injured regain strength can be painful, repetitive and downright boring.

In fact, many patients say PT - physical therapy's nickname - really stands for "pain and torture," said James Osborn, who oversees rehabilitation services at Herrin Hospital in southern Illinois. While Wii games require body movements similar to traditional therapy exercises, patients become so engrossed mentally they're almost oblivious to the rigor, he said.

"In the Wii system, because it's kind of a game format, it does create this kind of inner competitiveness. Even though you may be boxing or playing tennis against some figure on the screen, it's amazing how many of our patients want to beat their opponent," said Osborn of Southern Illinois Healthcare, which includes the hospital in Herrin.

The hospital, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, bought a Wii system for rehab patients late last year. "When people can refocus their attention from the tediousness of the physical task, oftentimes they do much better," Osborn said. The most popular Wii games in rehab involve sports - baseball, bowling, boxing, golf and tennis.
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