Wii-habilitation hits hospitals

Burns victims and those with hand injuries are being offered time on a games console to help with their recovery.

The Nintendo Wii is being used in hospitals across the south east of England after doctors found it could help bring back flexibility to these patients.

This is because it makes users act out all the physical movements involved in sports such as tennis, golf and boxing.

The consoles, which were donated to the hospital, will be used to complement part of a patient’s conventional physiotherapy treatment. Those who own a console will also be given advice on how they can continue their therapy at home.

Maureen Adams, head of therapy at the Queen Victoria NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead said: "When recovering from an operation such as a skin graft, patients need to recover normal use of their hands and arms.”

She said the Wii would “significantly improve movement” and could help motivate patients, who would see it as fun rather than therapy.

This is not the first time the Wii has been used for medical purposes. In America and Germany, it has been used in several clinics to help patients regain movement in their arms and legs after a stroke.

It has also been used in a Welsh care home as a way of keeping residents physically and mentally active and given to children to help fight obesity.