Register Hardware

Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02/12/wii_rehabilitation/

US hospitals launch Wiihabilitation

By James Sherwood
Published Tuesday 12th February 2008 12:43 GMT

The Wii is proving a hit across the US medical scene. Several US hospitals have admitted using the Nintendo console as an additional method of post-injury patient rehabilitation.

Dubbed 'Wiihabilitation', the treatment has already been used in various US-based hospitals to treat patients recovering from a wide scope of injuries, such as to the spinal cord. According to a report (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/02/11/dlwii111.xml) in The Telegraph, a hospital in Southern Illinois, which bought a Wii for rehabilitation purposes last year, has already found that the console helps patients to refocus their attention from tedious tasks.

A hospital in North Carolina has also been using Wiihabilitation on a whole age range of patients, even those in their 80s, becuase the console helps to improve endurance, strength and coordination.

Nintendo has been quick to jump on the marketing wagon and state that, although it doesn’t market the Wii for such uses, it’s "happy to see that people are finding added benefit in rehabilitation".

The Wii has already undergone a series of ‘medical trials (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/17/wii_increases_surgeons_performance/)’. Researchers at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Arizona recently reported that surgeons performed better during simulated surgery after spending a little practice time on the Wii.

However, if you’re looking to shed a few unwanted pounds, then the Wii’s probably not your best option. Because, a group of Canadian university students have deduced that it’s not much good at shifting, say, numerous takeways and nights on the lash.