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GREENSBORO — Mary Oakley was recovering from a stroke and had trouble moving her arms. Thelma Watson was recovering from neck and ankle injuries from a wreck and couldn't put weight on her right foot.

Naturally, Watson invited Oakley to go bowling.

Virtual bowling, that is.

The women, patients at Moses Cone Hospital, were using Nintendo's Wii (pronounced "we") video game system as part of their physical therapy.

The Wii player uses a wireless, handheld controller to mimic the motions a player would make in any of several games, such as tennis, bowling, baseball and boxing. The game system translates the player's real-life motion into on-screen action.

Hospitals, assisted-living centers and rehabilitation units have been snapping up the units since the Wii was introduced in November 2006. Accounts of its use have been published in professional journals, said Becky Windsor, supervisor of therapy services at Moses Cone.

"I'm surprised there's not an industrial hospital version at 10 times the price," Moses Cone spokesman Doug Allred said.

The company Cybex markets a "full-body Wii" called the Trazer, in which players wear a sensor belt around their waists rather than using a handheld controller. It, too, has been used in therapy, although the product's Web site primarily emphasizes exercise and recreation.

Moses Cone's physical therapy unit has been using a Wii since September. Therapists find that it can help patients of all ages not only with strength, balance, coordination and endurance, but also with cognition and memory, Windsor said. The game also is a fun distraction, she said. That's important because physical therapy can be boring and painful for patients.

"But you give them the control, and they'll bowl for 10 minutes," Windsor said. "Human nature is that we're competitive. So whether they're competing against themselves or (another patient), it makes them work a little harder, do a little more."

Oakley and Watson recently went head-to-head in bowling, walkers and all. Oakley bowls in real life, but when asked her average, she said, "Not very good."

Assisted by physical therapist Jason Carrero, Oakley took three tries to bowl the ball correctly in the game's first frame.

"Bring it down and then come forward," Carrero said.

As the game proceeded, the players cheered at each other's spares and groaned at each other's gutter balls.

In the fourth frame, Watson groaned as her ball hooked left and knocked down only a few pins. Her second ball veered toward a gap between two pins.

"Uh-uh — not in between," she implored, but the ball ignored her and went straight into the gap, knocking down the remaining pins for a spare.

Recreational therapist Lisa Simpson coached Watson, who was slightly to the side of the TV: "Don't aim (the controller) at the TV. Just roll straight and see if that helps."

It did.

"Patients want to know the name of this, where you can get it and how much it costs," Simpson said. One patient's family bought him a Wii for Christmas. The system retails for about $250.

With Oakley leading Watson 66-65 after eight frames, Watson announced, "Ms. Oakley, I can't let you beat me!" But she failed to pick up a spare.

"Sugar!" she said in mild disgust.

Oakley rolled a spare in the ninth frame and went on to win 94-80.

"You shouldn't have invited me," Oakley teased.

"Well, it was fun," Watson conceded.

Afterward, Watson reflected on the Wii's benefits.

"It helps emotionally," she said. "It helps me balance myself. It helps me think positive. ... This would help anyone in therapy with healing."

"I like it," Oakley agreed. "I'm going to get me one and put it on my computer."

But first, she and Watson were going to hit the tennis court.

Contact Lex Alexander at 373-7088 or lex.alexander @news-record.com