Wii makes therapy a game for wounded vets

[unhappycamper]

Wii makes therapy a game for wounded vets
By William R. Levesque - St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
Posted : Saturday Feb 28, 2009 11:03:44 EST

TAMPA, Fla. — After a 2007 helicopter crash in Italy left Army Sgt. Mark Lalli’s brain and body damaged, the road to recovery took him to an unexpected place.

A cyber bowling alley.

The James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa finds itself at the vanguard of a therapeutic revolution at the Department of Veterans Affairs, using a popular video game to bring veterans back from the brink.

One recent day at Haley, Lalli faced a wide-screen television hooked up to a Nintendo Wii game system.

Using a motion-sensitive controller in one hand, the 23-year-old swung his arm as if rolling a bowling ball while standing with help from a therapist. On the screen, a ball flew down the alley, clearing pins with all the sound-effects of reality. A spare.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_wii_veterans_rehabilitation_022809/%2e