Nintendo Wii as Stroke Therapy
Strokes are the third leading cause of death in America, as reported by physician-assistant.advanceweb.com. One American dies as a result of a stroke every three to four minutes. Those who don't die from the stroke have a long recovery time ahead of them. However, use of the Nintendo Wii and its games may help with the rehabilitation of stroke victims.-
Effects of Stroke
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The effects of stroke vary depending on each victim and the severity of the stroke. The stroke is a blood clot in the brain, so every second counts. The longer it takes to treat a stroke, the more potential brain damage can occur as a result of oxygen deprivation. Typical stroke symptoms include slurred speech, drooping facial features, impaired vision, impaired motor skills, memory loss and many others. Many of these symptoms are physical in nature, which makes physical therapy a must for most during stroke recovery.
Treatment
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The Nintendo Wii is a video game system that uses motion sensing and moving the controller as a way of playing the games. As a result, the Wii can be used to increase physical ability. The Wii Sports game simulates play in many different sports, including golf and tennis. The player simply has to wave the controller as he would a tennis racket or golf club. This game is great for severe stroke victims or for those just beginning their recovery because they can sit while playing. This makes the exercise much easier for them to handle.
The Wii Fit game can be used for stroke victims who have recovered more fully and are stronger. This game has three types of exercise: balance, cardio and stretching. Doing low-level balancing exercises may help increase a stroke victim's balance. The balancing games include simulated snowboarding and ski jumping. The game has difficulty levels so it can be adjusted to fit the ability of the victim. Light yoga stretching exercises can help a person regain her flexibility after time spent recovering in bed, and cardiovascular exercises can help increase her stamina. Cardio exercises include simulated boxing and hula hoop.
Each exercise lasts around one to two minutes apiece, somany quick bursts of exercise can be done throughout the day to avoid fatigue. Try to avoid doing these exercises too strenuously at first. This can cause injury to weak stroke victims. Let them build up their strength first. You should never start an exercise regimen for a stroke victim without consulting your doctor first.
Effectiveness
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Physician-assistant.advanceweb.com reports on a study done on the effects of the Wii on physical rehabilitation in stroke victims. They found that after 11 training sessions of about an hour each, the patients showed improvement in posture and mobility. They also found that subjects doing three training sessions a week for four weeks had improved physical stamina and health. However, they also note that these results may be skewed because the study sample was small. They also found that fewer calories were burned during these simulated exercises than during real exercise.
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