Study Certain video games can reduce chronic back pain by as much as 30 percent

How do video games affect back pain??

Back pain is a common problem affecting many people around the world. Researchers have now found that certain video games can reduce chronic back pain by as much as 30 percent.

Researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia found in their recent research that video games like Wii Fit can help reduce chronic back pain. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Physical Therapy".

Chronic back pain significantly affects the quality of life of those affected. (Image: underdogstudios / fotolia.com)

Video Game improved physical function and eased pain

The experts looked at the effects of physical video-game training on people with back pain, and found a significant reduction in pain. Participants received a Nintendo Wii Fit U and were asked to do aerobic exercise three times a week for one hour. The results showed an increase in physical function of 23 percent. A total of 60 participants aged 55 and over took part in the study. The average age of the participants was 67 years.

Video games are a great option for the elderly?

The study has shown that playing video games at home is an effective treatment, study author Dr. Joshua Zadro from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney in the English-language journal Daily Mail. Exercising such video games is a good option for older people who suffer from chronic back pain, as participants have experienced a 27 percent pain reduction, adds the physician.

Back pain in the lumbar region reduces the ability to function

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of self-directed, home-made exercise exercises to resolve back pain. Back pain is the world's most disabling and costly musculoskeletal disorder and is most common in older people. Back pain in the lumbar region (LBP) increases with age and can have a significant impact on physical functioning.

Which exercises had to be completed by subjects?

The participants practiced exercises for flexibility, strengthening and aerobics at home three times a week for 60 minutes, without being supervised by therapists. The impact of the eight-week video game program was comparable to training programs conducted under the supervision of a physical therapist, Dr. Zadro. Structured training programs are recommended for the management of chronic back pain in the lumbar region, but have so far been less successful in unsupervised home exercises.

Subjects participated in 85 percent of the video game exercises

The current study, however, had a high success rate with video game training, with participants completing an average of 85 percent of the recommended sessions. The video game exercises were interactive and included video and audio instructions, feedback on a patient's technique, and ratings of their performance. The researchers say that these traits are extremely motivating and probably explain why compliance with this program was much higher than home exercise in other studies.

Physicians see great potential in the exercises

These exercise programs could be a unique solution to increase the motivation of older people to manage their chronic back pain in the lumbar region through exercises at home, Dr. Zadro. This home program has great potential as supervised physical therapy visits can be costly and people living in remote or rural areas have difficulty accessing such services. This underlines the need for cost-effective and accessible treatments.

Exercises at home reduce health care costs

Given the enormous global cost of chronic low back pain, increasing the ability of an individual to manage their own pain while reducing the need for a therapist's supervision should be a top priority, adds Professor Paulo Ferreira of the University's Faculty of Health Sciences of Sydney. Video game exercises at home could be a solution to this problem as they reduce dependence on the healthcare system and prevent high costs.

Exercising with video games can help older people effectively

Video game consoles are not very expensive and patients do not have to go to a clinic for treatment. This study highlights the potential cost-effectiveness of the new approach to the management of back pain, particularly as this type of treatment can be widely used by people in remote communities with limited access to treatment providers. Dr. Zadro added that this study shows a promising new direction in the treatment of older people with back pain. The study was conducted without financial support from Nintendo. (As)