It’s been a while that hospitals have been using gaming carts in their care units for the younger patients. We’ve talked about companies in the past like Gamers Outreach, who have helped out over 200 hospitals around the USA by providing “GO Karts”, portible video game kiosks specifically for hospitals. Gaming has many benefits in the medical setting, from taking the patients minds off of their situation, and generally keeping the kids entertained so they need less constant care from the nurses, but does it also reduce pain and speed up recover?
A new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research has found that kids with cancer, suffering from post-chemotherapy mucositis, who are provided video games are found to be in 33% less pain, and require 20% less morphine! It makes sense, but the boggling issue is that they also recover 14% faster!
The research was conducted by the Juegaterapia Foundation at the Hospital La Paz in Madrid, Spain along with medical pain monitoring company Mdoloris. The study took place over one year, and required daily monitoring.
As Dr. Alonso Puig, M.D. put it, “When a child is engrossed in a game they love, this whole process of generating disturbing thoughts, pain, and anxiety stops.” The human body is a powerful thing, and concepts like “laughter is the best medicine,” while not absolute is not exactly untrue. The stigma attached to gaming is starting to drop, but if it’s something you love to do, then you can’t argue the potential benefits as a way to get through trauma, pass the time, relieve your stress, or now… apparently heal faster.
If you’d like to read more about the study, you can do so Here!
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