Wii Fit, The Balance Board and Its Role in Physical Therapy

There is no doubt that the Wii Fit has becomingSome staff members at the WilMed Nursing
something of a gaming phenomenon. In fact it hasHome in Milwaukee USA had the game at home,
become completely synonymous with the Wiiand decided that some of their residents may
console itself, a kind of flagship title which rivalsenjoy it. They were right.
Microsoft and Sony can only gaze upon in envy.It proved to be a big hit with residents even up
Its success is due to the fact that its appeal isto the age of 84, with resident Everlyn Dawson
wide, it appeals to both the old and young andgetting out of her wheelchair to try her hand at
most importantly it reaches people who are notbowling. Although she initially got a nothing more
traditional gamers. In fact it's probably fair to saythan a 'gutter ball' she smiled and with
that Wii Fit fans will never have played on a homedetermination said "I hope I am getting better at
gaming console before.bowling, it's certainly a lot of fun. It's nice and I
This across the board appeal has been welllook forward to doing it.'
documented elsewhere, yet one area which is stillAnd it's not just the gaming scores which are
in its infancy is the idea of Wii Fit being used as aseeing improvement, Susan Swain, the in house
serious tool in the medical sphere.physical therapy assistant, feels that an
The game is starting to find fans in hospitals, oldimprovement in hand eye co-ordination is
people's homes and physiotherapy units acrossnoticeable too, and most importantly, there are a
the world and both patients and staff alike arelot more smiles too.
starting to see the benefits.So far we have looked at two examples of how
22 year old Nathan Ellis from Lancashire, Englandthe Wii Fit can be of use in two separate
suffered horrific injuries to his limbs when he wasenvironments which are at opposite ends of the
unfortunately hit by a car. Thankfully he survived,age spectrum. Finally it is worth adding that Wii Fit
and as a 12 month stretch of physiotherapyis also being adopted as a method of physio
loomed Nathan suggested that using Wii Fit astherapy for athletes in recovery from a variety
opposed to traditional methods of physiotherapyof sports related injuries.
may provide the necessary fun factor whichSue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training
would help him get through the long andat Florida Southern College in Lakeland, told
occasionally painful treatment sessions.Reuters Health, 'We are looking to incorporate Wii
The idea was a deemed a great success andFit into the athletic training room as far as
resulted in both the Royal Preston and Chorleyrehabilitation, for example, on post-operative
and South Ribble Hospitals in the North West ofknees and ankles.' It is the fun aspect of Wii Fit
England introducing Wii Fit as a legitimate tool towhich makes the game so attractive for this
assist their younger patients requiringpurpose, with many people finding it takes the
physiotherapy.repetition and monotony away from such
Lesley Walters, the head of physiotherapy atexercises
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS FoundationThese three areas have all utilised Nintendo's Wii
Trust, recognised that by adopting play orFit either as a means to provide fun and
diversion techniques you can assist children toentertainment for the elderly, a method of
overcome discomfort and stiffness whilstdistraction for youngsters undergoing sometimes
undergoing physical therapy.painful physiotherapy , or athletes who find
At the other end of the age spectrum, therepetitive exercises easier to swallow when then
elderly have also discovered Wii Fit provides athey are coated in the fun guise of the Wii Fit.
great activity with some residents deciding thatWhatever you think of the Wii Fit, it's surely going
knitting and bridge are out and Wii Fit and theto be a long time before another game will have
Balance Board are in.both the same level of appeal and functionality.