Nintendo's
Wii video game system is becoming a hit among senior citizens.
The Chicago Tribune recently wrote about senior citizens who love Nintendo's Wii.
The Associated Press says:
Some call it "Wiihabilitation."
Nintendo's
Wii video game system, whose popularity already extends beyond the teen
gaming set, 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.
The story continues:
Using the game console's unique,
motion-sensitive controller, Wii games require body movements similar
to traditional therapy exercises. But patients become so engrossed
mentally they're almost oblivious to the rigor, Osborn 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.
Nintendo
Co. doesn't market Wii's potential use in physical therapy, but company
representative Anka Dolecki said, "We are happy to see that people are
finding added benefit in rehabilitation."
