Wiihab Rehab For Rheumatism Sufferers

Last year we told you of how the Wii console is being used to help train surgeons and also aid those who have Parkinson’s disease. Now another, albeit small, study has shown that the console might assist in the rehabilitation of rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study by researchers from the Burton Hospital Foundation Trust in Burton-on-Trent in the United Kingdom.

A small subject group of 13 men and women with the ailment were asked to use the Wii Fit and balance board to do a set of exercises. Each exercise increased in difficulty with the Wii Fit score and a pain threshold score was measured when doing a one-leg standing balance routine on the board.

The first and last sessions were recorded, and it showed an improvement in the 10 of the patients, while one patient’s score declined. While the results are not thorough due to the small control group, the researchers were confident that the console would have long-term benefits for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.