Patients in a Canadian hospital are getting a good dose of physical rehabilitation gaming by using the Nintendo Wii and its new controllers to work on movement and balance issues while recovering.

Therapists at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton report using the Wii Sports boxing game to help a patient who is recovering from a brain injury from, well, boxing in fact. The therapists stated the playing the Wii boxing game was much more motivating for the patient than traditional therapies, and describe the patients progress as “incredible”. The Glenrose Rehab Hospital is the first in North America and a pioneer in using the Wii game console to treat patients.

“We try to use activity but there is only so many times you can bat a balloon around back and forth. And only so many times you can reach for a bean bag,” Don Simoneau, occupational therapist at Glenrose.

The Wii controllers and game console utilize a motion sensitive system that allows users to physically interact with game on the screen, swinging the control to simulate things such as a tennis racket, baseball bat, golf club and in this case simulate that you are boxing.

The Nintendo Wii has been the top selling current generation game console for the past few months followed by the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PS3.

Source/Images: Edmonton Journal