Paralysis and Xbox Kinect: Building a Foundation

I’m amazed every year when I go snow skiing in Colorado and I ski up to (or sometimes get passed by) a skier with a physical disability.  I think to myself, “How in the world is that dude still upright?”  I know it would be extremely difficult for me to ski on a seated mono-ski, and I assume it was at one time a similar experience for that person.  But to watch as someone with paralysis or limited mobility charge down a mountain like it’s second nature is beyond amazing. 

 

I recently researched adaptive downhill skiing and it really grabbed my attention.  Skiing is something I love to do. I realize how awesome it is to know that my brother, a C-4, C-5 Quadriplegic whom I’ve never seen walk before, could have the freedom to ski down a mountain just like anyone else!  And so I began to wonder how someone that has skied with a disability in a sit-ski feels emotionally and physically while skiing.  I wanted to try and find a workout that my brother, who only has movement of his shoulders, neck and head, could participate in from his own home.  Using a Xbox Kinect gaming system as a starting point. 

 

We decided to find a new way to play the Kinect Adventures game, not to make it easier, but to allow someone with any type of paralysis or cerebral palsy to use the game as a workout tool.  We took a rolling chair with a BOSU Balance Ball, core disc, Kinect Adventures video game and challenge our classmates who are able-bodied to play some of the games that didn’t require use of the lower body. 

 

I interviewed my brother to determine the type of rehab that he performs on a daily.  His main workouts included range of motion and balance activities.  After his injury the doctors and therapists had to make sure that he could sit in a wheelchair for long periods of time on his own.  This requires some serious core strength and it all relates back to our original amazement in Adaptive Skiing. 

 

The Kinect Adventures video game that was originally intended to entertain kids and families can also be used to help develop excellent core strength and range of motion in paralysis patients.  When I pitched the idea to my brother to see if he thought it would even work for our intentions, he became curious to know the outcome of our research.  Our goal is to find out if the Xbox Kinect can help provide better motor planning, strategy and focus as well as improve the overall posture, balance, and range of motion in participants with disabilities.   This workout could be beneficial to anyone that is confined to a wheelchair no matter what the disability may be.

 

This research has motivated me to find out what can be done using this kid’s game to link a family together in a way that has not been done in over 20 years.  WHEN this works, I will be able to, for the first time in my life play video games with my brother just like any other family.