Doctors Use Wii Games for Rehab Therapy

Pfc. Matthew Turpen, 22, of Des Moines, Iowa, who was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident last year while stationed in Germany, plays golf on a Nintendo Wii video game system as part of his therapy at the Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital in Hines, Ill., on Jan. 24, 2008.

(AP) -- Some call it "Wiihabilitation." Nintendo's Wii video game system, whose popularity already extends beyond the teen gaming set, is fast becoming a craze in rehab therapy for patients recovering from strokes, broken bones, surgery and even combat injuries.

The usual stretching and lifting exercises that help the sick or injured regain strength can be painful, repetitive and downright boring. full story