Video games allow patients with chronic low back pain, mainly the elderly, treatment at home and without outside help. Enough to reduce costs and offer an effective solution to as many people as possible.
Long perceived as having a negative impact on the health of gamers, video games are gradually gaining their acclaim. Several studies have shown that video games boost brain function and can be used for the treatment of certain neurological pathologies.
Chronic low back pain, a disabling and very costly disease
A new study, conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney (Australia) and published on September 20 in the journal Physical Therapy, has for example shown the benefits that video games can bring in the treatment of chronic low back pain.
This disease is characterized by persistent pain in the lower back and mainly affects the elderly, reducing their motor ability. Musculoskeletal trauma has become the most disabling and costly in the United States with a bill exceeding $ 100 billion each year.
Pain reduction and improvement of functional abilities
The experiment was carried out on 60 participants, all over the age of 55, who were asked by the researchers to perform exercises. on flexibility, aerobic strengthening on Nintendo’s game console, Wii-Fit-U. This lasted for eight weeks at the rate of three exercises per week for an hour. All of these exercises were done at home and without professional supervision.
Important clarification: the study is completely independent and Nintendo did not finance it so that we can use our console.
The results were compared with those of a group that performed the same exercises but under the supervision of a physiotherapist. In the end, Doctor Joshua Zadro, main author of the study, noted in the group who performed unsupervised exercises “27% reduction in pain and a 23% increase in their functional capacity”.
More and more seniors
This therefore means that with video games giving clear information, encouragement and feedback, it allows patients to do exercises whose results are similar to those given by physiotherapists. “Participants completed an average of 85% of the recommended exercises,” says Dr Zadro.
These home exercises without the need for supervision open a wide door to access to care for as many people as possible. “Physiotherapist visits can be expensive and sometimes difficult to access for people living in remote areas,” says Dr Zadro. For older people who have difficulty getting around, it also helps to avoid trips to doctors which can be complicated.
Finally, Dr Zadro underlines the fact that “by 2050, the population over 60 will have tripled, therefore, research on this category of the population is essential”. And video games, usually reserved for young people, could well become the favorite activity of seniors.
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