Asian Hospital enhances rehab services with Wii

MANILA, Philippines - Asian Hospital and Medical Center redefines rehabilitation therapy as it now integrates the use of the popular Nintendo Wii in enhancing the practice of physical and rehabilitation medicine. 

Dubbed “Wiihabilitation,” the new innovation in rehab therapy is part of Asian Hospital and Medical Center’s commitment to elevating the practice of medicine in the country and delivering a patient-centered, world-class healthcare to Filipinos. 

The Nintendo Wii is a gaming system that quickly became a favorite among gaming enthusiasts for the ease of use of its controllers and the interactivity of its games.

These qualities made the Wii a unique and rewarding gaming experience for people of all ages and abilities. It created more buzz with its varied benefits that were more than just for entertainment.

Researchers have found that Wii’s interactive games mimic movements similar to traditional therapy exercises.

“The interactive concept of the Wii is such that once a player gives a certain stimulus, the monitor will react to that stimulus. Studies showed that this interactivity mimics many of the same motions used in rehabilitation. Thus, the Wii was found to be an innovative tool in enhancing the practice of rehabilitation therapy,” said Melfred Sumaya, senior manager of Asian Hospital and Medical Center’s Lifestyle Medicine Center.

The Wii uses digital wireless sensors and interactive software to enable patients to be a part of the game. This is possible through the motion-sensitive wand or Nunchuk, which controls the movements in the games in a realistic way. 

For example, when the user holding the Nunchuk makes a punching motion, so does the animated boxer on the screen. Researchers found the interactivity produced stimulates not only the use of muscles, but also the patient’s perceptual and cognitive skills. 

According to Sumaya, studies conducted in the US revealed that Wii Sports games like tennis, boxing, bowling, baseball and golf require skills and actions similar to those used in the real versions of the activities.

These games thus require arm and body movements, hand-eye coordination and postural control that could be improved during therapy sessions for enhanced balance, coordination, posture, strength, flexibility, and endurance.

Apart from the physical benefits, the Wii was also discovered to be a good motivational tool to drive patients to achieve recovery faster, because the games are more fun and entertaining to do than the conventional therapy exercises.

But Sumaya reiterated that the use of the Wii does not replace the time-tested traditional methods in rehabilitation therapy.

He said, “The conventional therapy procedures like electrotherapy and assisted stretchings and exercises still remain the standard procedures in rehabilitation therapy. The Wii therapy is just an enhancing tool that lets patients enjoy their therapy sessions. Because in these games, they can choose their characters and their scores are stored, so in the process, they feel more excited and motivated to achieve their goal of recovery.”

To ensure that the technology and therapeutic benefits of the Wii are effectively delivered to patients, Sumaya said the hospital’s physical and occupational therapists were made to undergo training to be adept in the use of the Wii.

The hospital also implements a one-therapist, one-patient approach to ensure that patients’ improvement is properly monitored and to avoid the disadvantages that may arise due to exceeding the recommended time of play.

Since integrating it into the hospital’s list of rehab services, Asian Hospital and Medical Center has over 100 patients who have benefited from the Wii technique.

To date, an average of five patients a day continue to enjoy the benefits of the Wii, with conditions ranging from neurological (stroke patients) to sports injuries (like basketball), and even patients with Down Syndrome, who enjoy the therapy so much for the interaction it promotes.

With this new innovative tool for rehab therapy, Asian Hospital and Medical Center aims to make rehabilitation fun, challenging and interactive for patients, in the long term achieving significant improvement in their movements and functions.

For more information, call Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at 876-5749 or visit www.asianhospital.com.