Outcast said:
All of which could have been done without over £300 worth of equipment. Give me a break. |
Actually you are very wrong.
First-hand Knowledge
The Director of Rheumatology at the major teaching hospital where I work has told me in person that he has succeeded in getting children, wheelchair bound by painful and crippling arthritis, active and mobile again by using the Wii and Wii Fit when all others options had failed. Not only is it effective but it will motivate children that have given up.
But don't take his word for it. I have gathered a few articles that may explain why your dismissive comment may not have been very accurate. Do you know the pre-Wii methods of measuring balance:
"There presently is no method of measuring "balance." There are numerous methods of measuring things that are associated with balance.
Probably the most valid measures right now are subjective measures (questionnaires). Examples include the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) and the activities-specific confidence scale (ABC). Nevertheless, these measures are greatly handicapped by their intrinsic variability, and tendency for people to scale their responses according to what they think they should be doing, rather than actual performance.
Other measures of "balance" include posturography, rotatory chair testing, ENG testing; and mobility oriented scales, such as the timed "get up and go" test, and the Berg balance scale."
Posturography Equipment (Does look like it cost 300 to you?)
http://www.american-hearing.org/
Wii Therapy
More and more physical therapists are using the Nintendo Wii as a rehabilitation tool. Playing the Wii can help improve balance as well as joint motion.
Wii-fit is a newer avocational activity that seems likely to be very good for VRT.
http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/balanceexercises/
"The Nintendo "Wii" is a novel video-gaming device that has been found to be a useful adjunct to vestibular rehabilitation therapy. The "Wii" is very well suited to rehabilitation. The "Wii-fit" program is a recent addition to the "Wii" stable of programs, and incorporates a balance board that can be used for training."
Timothy C. Hain, MD
Professor of Neurology, Otolaryngology, and Physical Therapy/Human Movement Science, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago IL, USA.
At Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the (Wii) therapy is well-suited to patients injured during combat in Iraq, said Lt. Col. Stephanie Daugherty, Walter Reed's chief of occupational therapy."
http://physicaltherapydiagnosis.blogspot.com/2008/05/is-nintendo-wii-skilled-physical.html
Maletta Pfeiffer & Associates has successfully integrated the Nintendo Wii and the active video games Wii Fit and Wii Sports as part of its rehabilitation services, company officials said. It's worked wonderfully," Albanese said. "Patients love it and it's something different than just coming in and doing the regular balance activities."
http://www.registercitizen.com/articles/2008/12/10/news/doc493f50be24cca833766959.txt
Last year, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey conducted a study on a patient with cerebral palsy, a movement disorder that can affect balance and coordination. They found that after four weeks of using the basic Wii system, the patient had better visual perception, posture and could actually stand for longer periods of time.
Current equipment can cost thousands of dollars and has to remain in hospitals. By contrast, the Nintendo Wii retails for $250, and the Wii Fit for $90, and they can be used at home. One of the biggest holdups was actually finding one," Pesce said. Like other Wii-wannabes, the hospital had to sign up on a waiting list at a local GameStop and wait a few weeks before receiving their order.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/114/story/332053.html
Western Technical College offers a class titled Management of Neurology Disorders, which focuses on the rehabilitation of motor skills. The class uses "Wii Fit" as a way to teach its students how to measure balance issues and how the game can be used for rehabilitation.
"We train students to be successful in the industry, so we keep them up to date with what is being used by the industry," said Richard Flores, physical therapist and assistant program director.
Flores also said that physical therapy has been using balance machines for years and "Wii Fit", treatment wise, is cheaper, smaller and provokes more excitement with therapy.
http://www.utepprospector.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=2a3ece3c-6a1e-4ebd-a10c-03d7245fa867
I am a Physical Therapist in a skilled nursing facility. We decided to get the Wii for working with patient's on balance, hand-eye coordination, strength training, etc. When the Wii fit came out we immediately bought it. The Wii fit has helped many of our patients improve much faster than standard exercise routines. What people don't understand is that before the Wii fit came out, the only option for a therapist wanting to measure and improve a patient's balance was a machine that retails for anywhere from $12,000 - 20,000 and all it does is show a dot on a target, no fun. This is an amazing breakthrough.
Hattiesburg clinic physical therapists utilize new form of treatment: Wiihabilitation
http://www.mspta.org/282112_MPTA-Newsletter.pdf
(If you want training as a physical therapist in using the Wii, it'll only cost you $450)
Wii-hab: Adapting Gaming Technology for Rehabilitation
uses of the Nintendo® Wii in the rehabilitation of patients with various neurological and orthopedic impairments across the lifespan including, but not limited to: total joint arthroplasty, stroke, Parkinson's Disease, generalized balance impairments, and sports injuries. Basic use and clinical set up of the Nintendo® Wii will also be discussed.
http://www.rehabedge.com/classes.asp?topicid=29
