Therapists now attempting to battle Parkinson's with Wii
The Wii is further branching out into new areas of therapy, as we find out that not only is the console helping wounded troops and those who have suffered strokes and the like, but also to aid those in controlling their Parkinson's. When our obsession becomes less of a box to kill boredom and more a box to heal human life, you can bet that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
It's all part of a Medical College of Georgia study to see if the Nintendo Wii can aid in the occupational therapy of those with Parkinson's. So, while it isn't a full-fledged commitment to the treating the disease through Wii, it's an acknowledgment that the Wii has helped others and could be something to help more folks in the future.
"We're hoping to show a slowing of the progression of the disease and a decrease in medication while increasing function. If we can teach patients to exercise and do functional activities, maybe we can have them take less medications," says Dr. Ben Herz, assistant professor of occupational therapy in the School of Allied Health Sciences and one half of the main team behind this study. "Because the Wii is interactive and you have to do certain functional movements to be successful," he goes on to say, "it's an effective modality for working with Parkinson's patients," says Dr. Herz. "One of the therapists uses the Wii for timing and loosening up, and the other uses it for coordination and balance issues."
[Via Go Nintendo]
