Anyone who has rehabbed just about any injury knows that rehab can become repetitive and boring. It's hard to stay motivated. So, perhaps it's not surprising that researchers are studying computer games as a tool to help patients. Recently, the Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation published a study indicating that people with Acquired Brain Injury who used the Wii Balance Board® had fun and improved their balance.
Of course, not every person with balance issues is capable of using the balance board. The researchers screened out those with cognitive impairment and those who could not walk at least 10 meters indoors. They excluded people with visual or other impairments who could not interact with the machine.
The advantages of the Wii Balance Board® included that it is widely available and cheap compared to products marketed as medical devices. With careful game selection, patients reported having fun and not being frustrated. In this study, researchers used three games, Simon, Balloon Breaker and Air Hockey. People in the studies had suffered strokes, traumatic brain injury, and benign cerebral neoplasm.
The relatively small sample of 9 using the Wii® compared to 8 using conventional therapy makes it hard to draw any vast conclusions. Nevertheless, the results were positive, with the Wii® group showing more improvement.
The larger message is that people with Acquired Brain Injury need to get all available rehabilitation to improve their abilities and to cope with their condition. It is important to know what therapies are effective. I use life care planners to assess my brain-injured clients to determine the optimal therapies. Then we price out the rehabilitation therapies and devices as part of a life care plan to present to insurance companies. Sometimes, insurance companies will pay for all the necessary therapies; sometimes they will make you hire an attorney to sue them.
Jeff Merrick, Oregon Trial Attorney
Injury & Employment Law
503-665-4234
The above is not legal advice. I cannot give you sound advice without knowing more information. It is intended to raise some issues for you to discuss with your own lawyer.
