La Roda Parkinson´s Association opened a new physiotherapy unit at the Center for Integrated Rehabilitation for Neurological Chronic Illness (CIRENC) in the city of La Roda, Spain.
The refurbished 182 square metre centre is made up of various wards, including one equipped with magnetic therapy, electrotherapy and physiotherapy equipment along with VirtualRehab, Virtualware’s rehabilitation videogame system.
The Association becomes the first dedicated to helping those affected by Parkinson´s disease to incorporate this innovative technology as an additional service for their 180 users in the area.Currently, La Roda Parkinson’s Association treats more than 30 pathologies, specifically those that are neurological, progressive, degenerative and disabling.
Those in attendance included members of La Roda Parkinson’s Assocation as well as local government officials.
During the opnening event, Jesús Garrido, Virtualware Account Manager, together with the centre´s physiotherapist, María Dolores Molina Navarro, demonstrated how the VirtualRehab system works.
VirtualRehab is based on the Microsoft Kinect device, with capture motion technology which allow the patient to interact in a virtual environment, without the need of cables or any devices attached to their bodies. In this way, the patient does all the exercises designed by the therapist to work their balance, posture, movement problems in either one or all parts of their body. The exercises are designed as videogames so that as the patient moves from one level of difficulty, they improve their quality of life at the same time.
VirtualRehab is being used around the world to treat and improve the quality of life of those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Mutliple Sclerosis, Stroke patients and to help improve the mobility in the elderly.