This isn’t the first time Nintendo Wii has been used to improve the health of a person, or even elderly people, but it’s the first time (to our knowledge) that video gaming has actually been suggested for speeding up the recovery after a stroke. The physical therapist is convinced that the console helps the patient to build balance, coordination, endurance, and both upper and lower body strength, Reuters reports.
This kind of therapy has been used for four months at the Ohio State University Medical Center’s Dodd Hall Rehabilitation Hospital in Columbus, but it’s not to be considered a replacement for regular therapy. The video game simply spurs the patients to train harder and more often than regular exercise. The game in question seems to be Wii Sports, but perhaps they should also take a look at Wii Fit. One can only conclude that Nintendo has managed to come through on it’s “appeals to children of all ages.”
