Wii Fit balance board and GBS

    • Anonymous
      February 16, 2009 at 10:50 am

      Dear Friends:

      Our family recently purchased Wii Fit for the Wii gaming system. The Wii has been adapted to provide personalized Physical Therapy in several nursing homes with some success.

      When I was having balance problems in the first few months of GBS, the physical therapist put my on a balance board which would sense weight shift on each leg and translate it onto a computer screen which would give the patient feedback. The Wii Fit has the some of the exact same exercises which I was doing when recovering from GBS. Granted, there isn’t a physical therapist with expert medical training with the game console, but I am wondering if some of you who have balance problems wouldn’t benefit from using a relatively inexpensive method of working on your balance.

      Get your children to show you how to hook the thing up. If they use a Wii, they will be able to synchronize the sensors in a few seconds. If you are an adult it could take a while to get the whole thing up and running.

      Lee

    • Anonymous
      February 16, 2009 at 12:47 pm

      I concur with using this. I have been using the Wii Fit for several months and my balance has improved. It is not a replacement for a therapist but still does provide some feedback which helps. The nice part is it lets you practice anytime of the day so you can do it when the body gives you some energy. I still cannot perform many of the “standing on one foot” type of exercises but there is a enough variety to keep me busy. The marble game and the bubble game are my favorites. The nice thing is there are exercises as well as activities. I try to do yoga one day, strengthening another and then balance games yet another so I don’t get as bored doing the same thing everyday. I also switch to the Wii Sports that came with the console and use the bowling and boxing to keep moving…..I’m not coordinated enough for tennis! I miss the ball all the time!

    • Anonymous
      February 18, 2009 at 12:56 am

      I am a physical therapist and use this with my son. It is a WONDERFUL and inexpensive tool. They are in a many clinics now. Ten years ago we would spend about 5-10K for balance equipment that did 1/10th of what the wii fit does. I really like the yoga and strengthening exercises for balance and motor control as well as the “balance” exercises. The visual cues with the boxes on the screen are excellent.

      It is also nice for measuring progress. I can’t say enough about

      ” Wii-Hab” instead of “Rehab!”

    • Anonymous
      February 18, 2009 at 10:22 am

      Thanks Jan and 3BoyMama for your input. I bought the Wii Fit for my wife because she was having back problems due to an imbalance as a result of polyneuropathy caused by chemotherapy. She has used it for about a week and her back problems have really subsided.

      I wasn’t too sure if there were applications on it for GBS, but after watching her on the balance board, it appears that this rather inexpensive tool could do a lot of people a lot of good.

    • Anonymous
      February 18, 2009 at 10:53 am

      I was on a Rehab floor following brain surgery (which my GBS was very angry about). The therapists used a Wii for balance issues as well as core strengthening. I dreaded being pushed out of my room each day to begin a series of very boring movements to retrain my muscles and jump start the nerves. Once we started the Wii, therapy was something to look forward to.
      As we advanced we were allowed to bowl, sometimes from the chair and eventually holding on to a walker. It is a great motivator.
      I’m hoping to get one for my home.

    • Anonymous
      February 18, 2009 at 12:59 pm

      I agree, I love my wii too. I have to really watch how long I play, it is very addictive!:D Not only is the fit great therapy, but I think the Mario Kart helps me with eye hand coordination and makes you think harder and faster. I just don’t suggest playing against your kids, they tend to catch on to things much faster then us adults:D 😉 although I am climbing the ranks a week at a time:) . I like the warning that comes up when you have played for a certain amount of time at once-its like having a mom built into the game! Another nice thing about the fit is you can control the length of time and reps you do, on good days you can go advanced or expert and on those bad days you can stay at beginners level. It really gives you the control over your exercises. I highly recommend getting a wii.