REAL LIFE NEWS: SEE, I TOLD YOU PLAYING CARDS WAS GOOD FOR YOU!
by Hazed
Canadian researchers have found that playing card games helps stroke patients in their recovery, by improving their motor skills.
Simple card games such as snap, or games like Jenga, bingo or a games console all do the job. In fact any task that is intensive, repetitive and gets the hands and arms moving will help.
The researchers wanted to test whether virtual reality gaming is any better than more traditional games for improving upper limb motor skills. They recruited 141 patients who had recently suffered a stroke, and had some impaired movement in one or both of their hands or arms.
The patients were randomly split into two groups. One half were given Wii rehab, which is increasingly being used as therapy for stroke patients. The others were asked to do other recreational activities such as playing cards.
The results showed that both groups improved significantly, but there was no difference in their motor skills.
So the high-tech therapy wasn’t any better than an old-fashioned game of cards.
