Video games don’t always get a good press when it comes to physical and mental health. However, a new report from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ALD) shows positive effects on physical rehabilitation, particularly for seniors.
Video games can help provide rehabilitation care that is fun for an aging population and tailored to patients’ abilities, the report says.
Different health professionals can be involved when talking about rehabilitation, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and kinesiologists.
Rehabilitation concerns problems at the musculoskeletal system level, but also at the neurological level. The goal of treatment plans is for the person to regain maximum function, for example after hip replacement or if the person has a disease such as Parkinson’s.
“People can lose functions without having a specific pathology, but simply because of normal aging,” says Guillaume Léonard, physiotherapist and full professor at the School of Rehabilitation at Sherbrooke University.
The ALD report highlights that health issues for seniors are increasingly relevant as the Canadian population is aging.
According to Statistics Canada, by 2070, the Canadian population aged 65 or over, which was seven million in 2022, is expected to double to between 14 and 16 million. It also estimates that 22 to 31% of Canadians in this age group suffer from chronic pain, a rate which increases from 36 to 41% among those who reside in long-term care centers (CHSLD).
Physical activity is fundamental for maintaining and improving physical and mental health, recognizes the Institute of Statistics of Quebec in its population health survey. The ISQ argues that the proportion of active people decreases with advancing age.
One of the main health benefits of video games for seniors is that they make exercise more fun, which promotes attendance.
For example, rather than lifting their foot ten times with several repetitions, if the person has to kick a ball in a video game, it makes it more fun, explains Mr. Léonard.
Particularly for neurological rehabilitation, for example a person who has suffered a stroke, the intensity and number of times one does the exercise has a major impact on the person’s recovery. “Because the exercise is more pleasant to perform, we can imagine that the person will do it more often, […] adhesion will increase with all the benefits that can result from it,” mentions Mr. Léonard.
A wide range of video games designed for rehabilitation exists. Ludica Health, a Montreal company, launched a video game on the market three months ago that creates various physiotherapy experiences. The game called “LudoFit” offers balance, endurance and strength exercises in the form of interactive games.
The video game is downloadable to computer or iPad and uses motion capture technology to provide virtual rehabilitation exercises that improve physical fitness and cognitive function.
The games are inspired by different destinations around the world. Some take place in the Italian Alps, it is possible to go climbing in Thailand, cycling on the Tour de France route or even rafting in Chile. Cultural and historical information also accompanies the games.
When a person has fun doing their exercises, they are more likely to be thorough in their rehabilitation efforts, said Mark Evin, CEO of Ludica Health. “That’s the magic of using video games in the context of health. The goal is to engage the person. When she is engaged, she can do more exercises, and in the end achieve better results. »
There are no limits to the creativity of games in a rehabilitation context, says Martine Bordeleau, postdoctoral researcher in the Research Group on Seniors, Neurostimulation and Pain at Sherbrooke University.
“We can take the person to places where they would not be able to go without this type of technology,” she emphasizes.
She mentions a research project she is currently working on that is developing an immersive nature trail that people can follow with a virtual reality headset. “It allows people to overcome the limits of their disability,” she says.
In her research, she also learned about another fun game that, to motivate people with lower back pain to do squats, gets them to bend over to avoid a large shark that jumps above them.
Isolation
The video game approach not only contributes to better overall health of seniors, but also helps with issues of isolation often associated with aging, indicates the ALD report.
Mme Bordeleau gave the example of the Montreal company Super Splendide, which developed a virtual reality application used in CHSLDs in which there are 360-degree environments, notably a trail on the North Shore. “In these environments, we can include an unlimited number of players. The grandmother who is in her CHSLD in Quebec and who wants to do this experience with her grandson who is located in Montreal, she can do it,” underlines the researcher.
The benefits of video games don’t stop there. In a research project, Mme Bordeleau and Mr. Léonard are working to leverage technology for those who are afraid to move.
“For people who are in pain, moving is not always tempting. When they move, they hurt, and they begin to develop a fear of moving, which is called kinesiophobia,” explains Mr. Léonard.
Video games can help reduce this fear, he says. At first, the patient can only observe the movement, then make muscle contractions while sitting and finally progress to reduce their fear of moving.
Video games also have certain limitations. Virtual reality headsets can cause cybersickness, the main symptoms of which are dizziness and nausea. Not everyone has these discomforts and it is not insurmountable, Mr. Léonard adds.
For seniors who have never used video games, they may need additional explanations on their use, but many are already used to them. The ALD report indicates that 55 to 64 year olds spend an average of 7.4 hours per week playing video games.
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