A stroke leaves you with numbness and lack of movement on one side of your body – your face, arm and/or leg become weak and you lose control over them. The recovery process is slow and tedious, and if the blood flow to the affected area of your brain is restored before permanent damage is done, your rehabilitation program determines how fast you return to normalcy. To this end, ARM (Assessment, Rehabilitation, Movement), an initiative set up by a group of therapists, doctors, engineers and psychologists at the University of Southampton proves to be a fun rehab tool for those who are recovering from a stroke.

It is meant to help them regain movement of their arm and control it better through a technique known as Iterative Learning Control, something that was earlier used only in the manufacture and research of industrial robots. In theory, the process is the same – you use iterative learning to teach the limb how to move. In the robots, it is achieved using artificial intelligence; for humans recovering from a stroke, it is a process of teaching the brain movements that are innate, but which it has forgotten because of the illness.

In layman’s terms, gaming technology is being used to retrain arm and hand functions that have been diminished or paralyzed because of the brain damage caused by a stroke. The initiative has borne fruit thanks to the efforts of the teams at the University’s School of Electronics and Computer Science and the School of Health Sciences, both of which combined to come up with this ingenious method for stroke rehabilitation.ARM is even more significant because it has provided researchers with a way to understand how the brain recovers after a stroke and because it allows patients to see how they are progressing, monitor their progress, and try to improve their progress as the days go by. A grant of £2M from the National Institute for Health Research will allow this technology to be taken out of the lab and integrated into the mainstream healthcare practice so that the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from a stroke every year can recover in a fun and positive way.

About the Author

Shannon Wills is a freelance writer whose current focus is on the topic of Physical Therapist Assistant Schools, a site dedicated to helping students find physical therapy assistant programs and compare physical therapy assistant school options.  Shannon covers a variety of health beats including diabetes management, anti-aging and healthy eating.  She welcomes your comments at her email id : shannonwills23@gmail.com.

Wii in occupational therapy.

Mershon Hinkel, MSPH, OTR/L, an occupational therapist at Meadowbrook Occupational Therapy, Meadowbrook, PA, is known as the “WII OT”.  She has practiced occupational therapy for over 25 years and is an expert in “Wiihab,” or rehabilitative techniques using the Wii and other interactive devices. She is also a consultant to medical practices, a part-time academic, and a writer.  “I use Wii with my patients all of the time.  Using virtual reality and video feedback systems bring fun and engagement into the rehab setting.” Mershon says.  It’s a good idea when implementing new methodologies to learn from experienced therapists.  Mershon teaches a workshop called  “Wii-Hab – Using the Nintendo Wii in a Therapeutic Setting” and has a great blog about the topic: http://wiihabtherapy.blogspot.com/

On her blog, she discusses an upcoming release of a new accessory for the remote device (“Wiimote”).

“The Wii MotionPlus can be easily attached to the remote.  Once attached, this device enhances the remote’s ability to detect and reflect arm and wrist motions.  This increased sensitivity and accuracy may improve Wii’s value as a therapeutic tool for rehabbing higher functioning clients.  By enhancing the remote’s ability to detect even the slightest movement of the wrist and arm, Nintendo might be making it easier to target specific muscles and to encourage increases in strength, coordination and endurance,” Mershon offered.

This new addition is scheduled for market release in the U.S. in just a few weeks, on June 8.

Wii for rehab and long term care.

Russ Tolliver, Program Manager at Genesis Rehabilitation Services in the Jacksonville, Florida area, has also found the magic of utilizing the Wii in the rehab setting. “We currently utilize the Wii with six Wii programs for our facility, sports, Wii Fitness, and cognitive game/exercises,” Russ notes.  “It’s an extremely resourceful tool to have in the therapy gyms, and the clients are always are talking about how they are doing-from where to they started to ways in which the program has helped them functionally get better.”

Laura Minck, CEO of Ergonomic Energy Consulting in Raleigh-Durham, NC, is seeing more and more clients integrating Wii into their treatment plans. “I have seen several long term care facilities using Wii in therapy and also as an activity during free time,”  Laura observes.  “Some of the facilities are forming bowling leagues using the Wii, since their clients have difficulties lifting heavy bowling balls. This allows them to participate in an activity they love, give them exercise and keep their minds active.”

Michelle Lucas-Webb, owner at Rehab Dimensions, Inc, in the Charlotte, NC area, sees its value in a treatment plan to address balance, ROM and endurance.  “I have seen this in action in several geriatric settings and residents seem to love it!” says Michelle.

Wii on the brain.

Neuro rehab is another clinical area where patients gain improved function with Wii as an integrated part of the treatment plan.  Clayton Fowlie, President and CEO at Maine Center for Integrated Rehab, enthusiastically says, “We use them in my neuro rehab clinics here. Our clients love them. They are primarily used by our PTs and Recreational Therapists. Great results!” said Clayton, while noting humorously, “Staff loves them too!”