Nintendo Wii Balance Boards Help MS Patients Stay Steady

Statistics show that 2.5 million individuals worldwide are suffering from symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis--a disabling neurological condition that affects many young adults.

Many patients dealing with the health issue have a difficult time staying active. The disease, along with medications used to combat its progression, may disrupt normal functioning associated with balance.

Now researchers have found that an exercise component of the popular Nintendo Wii video game could help some patients to live a more normal life. By rewiring brain function, MS patients were able to build up strength by simply playing the video game.

For the study, patients were split into two groups: one group spent three months doing no special exercise while the other group played with the Wii Balance Board for 30 to 40 minutes per day, five days a week. Then the two groups reversed rolls. Those who had not participated in a regular exercise routine used the balance board for three months, while the others stopped.

Researchers used MRI scans to help detect any physiological changes in the brain.

Findings showed that patients had regained some balance. Furthermore, the video game's use was actually tied to improvements in the protective sheath around the nerves that help with a conduction of impulses between the body and the brain.

Researchers hope that other video games similar to the balance board could also bring about similar results in MS patients. Future research will tell. 

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Radiology.