Wii Fit helping UK amputees lead a balanced life
by Randy Nelson 
{ Jan 6th 2009 at 7:55PM }
Say what you will about the efficacy of Wii Fit as a fitness tool, but at least one UK hospital has found a perfect use for its balance-centric design: helping amputees adapt to walking on their new prosthetic limbs. Nintendo World Report has a piece on Seacroft Hospital in Leeds, which is using Wii Fit's mini-games in addition to traditional physical therapy.
According to Seacroft senior physiotherapist, Lynn Hirst, the key usefulness of the Balance Board and games is enabling patients to tell "where they are taking their weight" in real time. Hirst credits the mini-games with helping "[patients improve] their core stability and their balance." Hey -- that sounds like a great use for a Balance Board.
According to Seacroft senior physiotherapist, Lynn Hirst, the key usefulness of the Balance Board and games is enabling patients to tell "where they are taking their weight" in real time. Hirst credits the mini-games with helping "[patients improve] their core stability and their balance." Hey -- that sounds like a great use for a Balance Board.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wiinterfang @ Jan 6th 2009 8:00PM
That's great Nintendo, my tip of the hat to you =).
Trickob @ Jan 6th 2009 8:02PM
I-I'm sorry. I'm still too shaken up about EGM to care about this. maybe later. sorry.
Cody @ Jan 6th 2009 8:05PM
God Nintendo is amazing.
edhc44 @ Jan 6th 2009 8:08PM
After over two years, does anyone still wonder if Nintendo got it right this time?
Personally I don't own a Wii and there only a few games that caught my eye, but kudos anyway!
knighty (GT: ZeraKnight) @ Jan 6th 2009 8:22PM
Yeah, we should judge the quality of a games console by how many hospitals use it.
Pretty cool anyway, just saying that anyone who view the Wii as a better console for this is stupid.
Naota @ Jan 6th 2009 8:28PM
It's never a bad thing to help out others. The more uses it has the better off it'll be. The Wii is good in this regard. besides, it's not like the system blows. At the very least, I still use mine.
Wiinterfang @ Jan 6th 2009 8:29PM
This is incredible and it really how the good the wii can create as a console, you can have a lot of fun with the wii if you just get up you high horse and just had fun and that's the point of the wii to have a fun console that everyone on the family can enjoy.
is that so wrong?
knighty (GT: ZeraKnight) @ Jan 7th 2009 9:18AM
I love how I was downvoted for saying this is a good idea but shouldn't make the Wii a better games console. Ah, Joystiq.....
dcfemella @ Jan 6th 2009 8:15PM
That is great that the Wii Fit is able to help amputees.
Brendan H @ Jan 6th 2009 11:26PM
That's why it's Entertainment Weekly's Game of the Year.
RabbidMickeyMouse @ Jan 7th 2009 1:09AM
I know that anyone with enough know-how (not as much these days with works like glovepie etc) can operate the wiimote and nunchuck on their PCs for games or more specifically build in-house applications, and I'll bet (I haven't looked into it yet) that the balance board is not much different in that regard.
Has there been much development for software on PCs that use the wiimote et. al. for use in hospitals and schools? Have hospitals and schools begun using the wiimote en masse, or are we discussing what amount to isolated incidences (not to diminish the idea)? Do those who use Nintendo's software prefer the appeal of the company's new design philosophy vs what may or can be made by third parties?
Am I missing the basic point, that anybody can pick up a copy of Wii Fit, or a Wii w/ Wii Sports and apply it to their place of work to help others, as opposed to roping in the corporate types who are more concerned with widespread use, licenses, budgeting in the devices etc, as opposed to those who enjoy the satisfaction of helping others by themselves and sharing the idea on a grass roots level?