In my previous research, I focused heavily on virtual reality (VR). After my talk, I realized I could start with a more physical approach and explore the broader topic of gamification.
To begin, I want to start with something smaller in scope. I will look at physiotherapy exercises, setting aside mental health therapy for now, and explore existing exercises and how one might create a simple gamified prototype.
I delved into the field of physiotherapy. Personally, I have little experience with this field, except for some physiotherapy sessions for my lower back condition, which I’ve had since birth. During these sessions, I noticed a recurring problem: after each meeting, I had a short burst of motivation to do the exercises, but this motivation faded after a few days. There were no disciplinary structures in place to keep me doing the exercises. This seems to be a common issue that medical professionals can hardly control outside of therapy sessions. Gamification could promote discipline outside of these sessions. Even during sessions, gamification could make the experience more enjoyable, especially for target groups such as children.
Statistics show that in our sedentary society, physiotherapy is on the rise. In Austria, 21.8% of the population has consulted a physiotherapist. Given the increasing numbers, we can infer that the figures for 2024 could be even higher.
I looked into specific physiotherapy exercises, focusing on the upper body. I chose this region because the exercises are potentially easy to measure, mostly simple, and could be combined with VR in the future, as VR is traditionally controlled via hand gestures or hand controllers. Although it’s hard to assess their effectiveness, these exercises were recommended by several sources, so I believe they are effective. For the prototype, I will pick one or several basic exercises.
In the next prototype, I want to explore what gamification is and which gamified approaches to therapy already exist.
Sources:
- https://www.dunsboroughphysio.com.au/physio-exercises-upper-limb-flexibility.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnCwHI75uVk&list=PLMLo0FsBVlPlY9Vzzr44bP8CJGBfaaHVw
- https://www.csp.org.uk/campaigns-influencing/campaigns/stronger-my-way/i-want-feel-stronger/strengthening-exercises/upper
Notes & Observations:
- Flexibility exercises seem to be performed by professionals rather than patients themselves, likely depending on the severity of health problems.
