Nintendo Wii being prescribed for occupational therapy

Tools

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Feb 27, 2008 at 11:41 AM EST

Story Updated: Feb 27, 2008 at 11:41 AM EST

(CNN) Your children may love it, but now this popular game is helping patients recover.

Heidi Mckenzie's occupational therapist now has her working with the new video game system Wii.

She has regular rehabilitation sessions after a car accident left her paralyzed from the waist down.

And she says 30 minutes of sparring with a boxing partner provides more than just a workout.

“It just helps me with my overall balance and my vision to get better, which I'll really need,” she said.

“We can incorporate the use of many muscles of coordination, vision and even balance, all pieced together at one time,” explained occupational therapist Robbie Winget.

Winget helped develop a treatment plan after playing on a friend's gaming system. He says simulated games are now helping patients with spinal cord and brain injuries and those who've suffered strokes.

There's little research that shows Wii makes a difference. And Wii doesn't replace traditional exercises; it's just another tool.

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