Wii boxing helps pro pugilist's rehab

It was boxing that put Albert Liaw in a wheelchair with a stroke and a brain injury, and it's Wii boxing that is helping him recover. According to an article in The Edmonton Journal, the Alberta, Canada-based Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital is using the Wii as a motivational tool to help patients like Liaw regain movement and balance after debilitating injuries. The Journal reports the Wii has been helpful in giving patients a reason to keep up their physical therapy despite the strain on their muscles and minds. However, it's not enough for them to simply play the games; they need to play them with specific motions that train the patients' muscles.

The Wii treatment has helped Liaw get back on his feet and regain some use of his left arm. While he isn't likely to set foot in a ring competitively again, he hopes to become a boxing trainer.

Occupational therapist Jonathan Halton brought the idea to Glenrose, which the article says is the first in North America to use the Wii for rehabilitation.