philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

23Jan/20Off

Skydiving, kayaking, fly fishing: Virtual reality therapy is taking paralyzed veterans to new places

veteranLast summer, the St. Louis VA began integrating into therapy for patients with paralysis. Much more than a cool diversion or entertainment, it's a useful tool in helping patients cope and encouraging them to lead active lives.

"You can look down and see your feet. It's like you are standing on a pier fishing. Everything looks right. When you move, it feels like you are walking down the pier," Erbe said. "You really feel like, oh my god, I'm going too fast or I'm going too far."

Patients can box, learn tai chi, shoot a bow and arrow, and even feel like they are reeling in a big fish.

"We can have a veteran in a funk, where their life has drastically changed, and show them that just because things are different, doesn't mean you can't do this or do that. It's still possible," Luitjohan said. "It just takes adaptations."

New therapeutic programs designed for virtual reality not only can help with pain management and behavioral therapy, but also have the capability of measuring things such as reaction time, range of motion and cognitive function to determine whether patients are progressing.

See the full story here: https://techxplore.com/news/2020-01-skydiving-kayaking-fishing-virtual-reality.html

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