Developing Rehabilitation Practices Using Virtual Reality Exergaming

Patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) have limited time with supervised therapy in rehabilitation hospitals. This makes it imperative for them to continue regular therapy at home so they can maximize motor recovery especially for performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL). However physical therapy can be tedious and frustrating leading to a lack of motivation. Motivation is often provided in the form of games. However, commercial gaming systems do not account for the vast differences between what is considered “normal movement” and what a tetraplegic individual can perform. We explore the use of a virtual reality exergame using the HTC Vive to gauge motivation, engagement, and quantify range of motion.