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Using Video Games To Help Stroke Victims Recover

NPR
Published April 28, 2016 at 1:52 PM EDT
With the support of a physical therapy student, a stroke patient works her way through a level of the game V-Step. (Todd Bookman/WHYY)
With the support of a physical therapy student, a stroke patient works her way through a level of the game V-Step. (Todd Bookman/WHYY)

The odds of making a full recovery following a stroke aren’t great. Nearly half of all people who survive end up either needing permanent assistance to perform basic functions, or wind up in a nursing home.

Physical rehabilitation exercises post-stroke can help people recover use of a damaged limb, but there’s a growing belief that the typical exercises and routines aren’t providing enough repetitions.

Now, there’s a new way to approach physical rehabilitation, not just for stroke patients but for anyone looking to gain back strength and flexibility. Todd Bookman from Here & Now contributor “The Pulse” at WHYY has our story.

  • Read Todd Bookman’s full story on WHYY/NewsWorks

    • Reporter

  • Todd Bookman, covers innovation in the fields of health and science for WHYY in Philadelphia. He tweets @toddbookman.

    • Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.