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Wii

Wii Gains Favor in American Hospitals

by Les Thomas - February 16, 2008, 11:00 pm EST
Discuss in talkback! Source: Various

Rehab centers plug in the Wii with results.

Nintendo's Wii system has seen increasing use in hospitals. Some health care professionals are calling it "Wiihabilitation."

"They think it's for entertainment, but we know it's for therapy," said Lt. Col. Stephanie Daugherty, chief of occupational therapy at Walter Reed Hospital. She believes the Wii is a powerful tool in physical rehabilitation.

Most of the men Lt. Col. Daugherty helps rehabilitate are aged 19-25 and combat injured in the Iraq War. The more vigorous movement in the context of a video game provides patients welcome relief from sometimes painful physical therapy. The competitiveness of video games is also helpful to the young soldier's recovery. Many doctors are lauding the health benefits of using a Wii in rehabilitation.

Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital, west of Chicago, Ill., recently bought a Wii for its spinal cord injury unit. WakeMed Health Hospital, in Raleigh, N.C., provides Wii systems for patients young and old. Spaulding Hospital in Boston uses a Wii to aid in rehabilitating patients of brain injuries. And the health applications of the Wii do not end in hospitals.

The Wii was called "a hit in nursing homes" just months after the console hit the ground. Wii owners have claimed losing weight playing the system. And with the release of Wii Fit, a video game fitness program complete with exercise pad, players get a real workout. Dr. Julio Bonis of Madrid coined the term "Wiiitis" for tendinitis from overplaying the Wii, to warn players of overexertion. But he agreed the Wii is a definite success in physical rehabilitation.

The signs that playing a Wii can be beneficial are impressive but anecdotal. Researcher Lars Oddsson wants scientific proof of the Wii's ability to help rehabilitate the injured and weak. He teamed with Wisconsin State University to plan a study to gauge the effectiveness of the Wii in physical rehabilitation.

Nintendo's Anka Dolecki said the company doesn't market to rehabilitation centers, but was "happy to see that people are finding added benefit in rehabilitation." Nintendo has donated more than 5,000 Nintendo fun centers to hospitals, with new ones stocked with Wii systems since the system's launch.

Information compiled from The Boston Herald, The Associated Press, and Fox News.

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