Games that involve 'hidden' physiotherapy exercises helped patients perform everyday tasks One woman gained strength to drain a pan for the first time in 10 years Lancaster University researchers hope regular exercises using the games console will allow some stroke victims to return to work
By Fiona Macrae for the Daily Mail
Published: 20:03 EST, 21 November 2014 | Updated: 20:27 EST, 21 November 2014
Playing video games on a Nintendo Wii could transform the lives of stroke patients, British researchers hope.
Wii games that involve hidden physiotherapy exercises helped patients to perform simple, everyday tasks for the first time in years.
One woman gained the strength and dexterity to lift and drain a pan for the first time in over a decade, while a man was able to play computerised golf and bowling for the first time since his stroke.
Computer consoles can help improve the lives of stroke victims. This image, issued by Lancaster University, shows a patient field testing a mini-golf game
Only four patients were studied, and longer and larger trials are need to prove the techniques worth, but Lancaster University researchers hope that regular exercises using a Wii console will allow some to recover to such an extent that they will be able to return to work.
Most stroke patients are left with a weak arm, which can be improved through physiotherapy but a lack of NHS funding means that most who want the treatment after leaving hospital must pay for it.
In addition, the exercises are tedious and repetitive, so many abandon them.
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Wii games 'benefit stroke victims' and help them perform simple tasks, researchers say