Treating Neck Pain
ZHAW researchers have teamed up with partners from industry and clinical practice to develop a system that treats neck problems using computer games.
Long days working in front of a computer, starting at a smartphone or too little exercise have turned neck problems into a widespread phenomenon. Up to now, there has been no single treatment for alleviating neck pain, as the causes and the needs of those affected are too different and too diverse. For this reason, ZHAW researchers at the School of Health Professions and the School of Engineering teamed up with Hocoma, which develops devices for functional movement therapy, and partners from clinical practice to develop “Valedo Neck Therapy”. But the system is about more than just fun and games. It also makes it possible for the first time to measure neck movements and incorrect posture precisely and to create individualised and beneficial treatments.
Gamification for otherwise monotonous exercises
The system uses sensors to record a patient’s movements, which it then feeds into a computer game so that the movements are visualised. At the same time, the position of their neck is analysed so that an incorrect posture can also be seen. “Our neck therapy allows us to offer exercises that are tailored to a patient’s specific needs,” says project manager Christoph Bauer from the School of Health Professions. For example, patients have to use specific neck movements to control a mother duck feeding her chicks in a pond. Known as gamification, this approach turns otherwise monotonous exercises into a motivating game.
The measurement system was originally used for virtual reality glasses, but it was then adapted by ZHAW researchers with specially developed sensor hardware and software. In order to make sure that the system would work in practice, the ZHAW researchers developed two prototypes based on the input of clinical partners. The neck therapy system was tested on 24 test subjects and with 12 therapists in clinics. The feedback from these tests will now be used to develop the prototypes further. “In the medium term, our goal is that people can use the computer game not only in the physiotherapist’s office but also at home,” says Bauer.