Video Games Are a Form of Therapy

Video games get a bad rap, but health experts have found creative ways to harness their power in treating conditions, from helping kids manage anger and stress to improving COVID brain fog.

 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

By Paola de Varona, News Editor Video games get a bad rap, but health experts have found creative ways to harness their power in treating conditions, from helping kids manage anger and stress to improving COVID brain fog. Today's Top Story How a Video Game Is Helping Stroke Patients Recover What if you didn't have to leave your house to rehabilitate after experiencing a stroke? There's a video game for that.   Researchers have developed a video game that, when paired with regular telemedicine visits, helps stroke patients rehabilitate their weakened limbs as effectively as physical therapy.   Players are instructed to paddle down a river in a kayak, which requires them to use the arm affected by the stroke. The game is played on a computer at home, with a webcam capturing the patient's movements.   While they make their way down the river, players are met with challenges like avoiding rocks or swatting away obstacles in their path. It also includes mini-challenges—like card games— that require players to use their affected arm. Know More The game is meant to complement physical therapy, not totally replace it. Because the game can be played at home, it can reduce the number of visits a patient needs to make to a physical therapy clinic. This could be cost-effective and convenient. Feel Better In the study, patients who used this game saw greater improvement than those who only received traditional physical therapy. Six months later, most of the patients retained the gains they had made. READ MORE Prolonged Grief Disorder Is Now Recognized as a Medical Condition The American Psychiatric Association recently added a new diagnosis to its diagnostic handbook: prolonged grief disorder. The condition can be diagnosed when grief remains intense for more than a year after losing someone and interrupts day-to-day life. Adding this definition is not meant to treat grief as abnormal. Instead, it's aimed at getting a small subset of people treatment that could help. READ MORE Trial Shows Arthritis Drug Helped People With Alopecia Regrow Hair A medication commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis may also help treat alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that leads to rapid hair loss. In a phase 3 clinical trial, researchers discovered that one in three patients with alopecia areata regrew hair after being treated with the drug, called Olumiant. People with a higher dose had the most success—up to 50% improvement in hair regrowth. There currently aren't many treatments available for alopecia. READ MORE   In an interview with Verywell, Amanda Sauceda MS, RDN, a gut health nutritionist, shared the importance of keeping a food journal if you're struggling with IBS or other stomach issues. A food and mood journal can be a powerful tool to help someone connect with how food is making their gut feel. A journal will enable someone to pick up patterns and will be helpful information to take to their dietitian and healthcare provider. Amanda Sauceda MS, RDN Registered Dietitian   Keep Reading   ■ The Pandemic Has Trapped Millions in Unending Grief. The Atlantic     ■ Why a Coronavirus-Flu 'Twindemic' May Never Happen. The New York Times     ■ Should the U.S. Lift Its Entry Test Rule? The Washington Post More From Verywell Top 10 Summer Health Risks to Avoid READ MORE How to Manage Pollen Allergies READ MORE Hair Loss Can Be a Sign of Stroke Risk READ MORE   How'd we do? If you have any feedback, send us a note at   feedback@verywell.com.         You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.   A DOTDASH MEREDITH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 verywellhealth.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy