When you play, you win - web head report - playing online games may aid in multiple sclerosis rehabilitation

Games are more than just drollery they're a creative way to stimulate single of the most important organs--your brain," said Dano Leli, an Orlando neuropsychologist, who is a professional friend of mine.

"Not single that, games can teach compensatory strategies as well," Dr Leli explained. "A compensatory strategy is anything that makes you think in novel ways, compensating for functions that an M lesion may have taken away."

There are other benefits as well, he put in mind ofs Since many games on the Internet allow you to play and chat with others at the same time, playing presents an easy way to socialize when you can't win out of the house. In addition, Dr Leli believes, game playing teaches novel problem-solving techniques.

"It may not present the appearance like it," he said, "but if you've base it hard to cope with math, for example, and you start playing bridge or spades, which require figuring on the outside point strategies and how to gain the points you need to Win, then a certain number of of your math skills may draw near back in a new way."

Ne any more reasons? wherefore not go online, learn, and have frolic at the same time?

If you be delighted with solitaire, you can play at your have a title to pace, whether it be a card game, a word search, or a crossword. The alone competition is yourself, so you don't have to finish a game if you procure tired, and the only individual to beat is yourself--or the computer

If you want to play with other tribe but hesitate--there is yet another great benefit to online play. At greatest in quantity sites, when you log upon to a group game like spades or bridge, you can "sit" at tables and watch, picking up strategic points, chatting with others, or just giving yourself time to pick up the basics of the game.

If it's in the cards, chances are it's upon the Web! And chances are high you can play it for free

The largest game site I've rest is www.zone.com, sponsored by Microsoft. It includes bridge, cribbage, backgammon, dominoes, plus about 100 others, including a flight simulator, slot machines, Scrabble, and a score of trivia games. If strategy and action games are your thing, the girth has three different Star Wars--based games as well as the action games Axis and Allies, Star Trek and Total Annihilation.

There are also racing games, like Motocross and wonder Truck Madness. For board game lover there's Monopoly, Risk, ball of thread and Boggle, among others. And there are solitaire games aplenty--traditional Klondike, for example.

If none of those games tickle your fancy, examine http://ea.netscape.com/games, you'll find classics including euchre checkers, or chess, and of recent origin games such as EA Sports Triviatron and pebble-stone Beach Golf, as well as other versions of games already mentioned.

At http://games.yahoo.com you'll find many of the games above, as well as Chinese checkers, mahjong, and Literati, which is a form of Scrabble. Or prove www.flipside.com, which has about 30 games, including online versions of TV game present to views like "Family Feud", "Match Game", "To number the Truth", and "Name That Tune"

more [i]or[/i] less games require downloads onto your hard drive before play begins. While I've not ever had a problem, I worry about downloading, for a like reason I always check sites to diocese if I can play the same game online at another location.

greatest in quantity of the games on the Web are unrestrained Some, which offer cash prizes to winners, may charge a pay to play. Before you start, check without different versions of the same game at various sites, in like manner you can go for the individual that looks and feels the best. Also, be fully convinced to compare prices before committing to pay for play.

Then play to win yourself a serviceable time!

fRELATED ARTICLE: About those thinking problems

About half of all nation with MS will probably experience cognitive changes. These are usually machiavelian difficulties a slowed ability to think, reason, concentrate, or remember. A somebody may have difficulty finding the right words to say, or derange remembering what to do during daily routines. individual out of 10 people may have question at issues that severely interfere with everyday activities.

Game playing is superior self-help for many reasons, on the other hand if you are troubled by dint of cognitive changes in yourself or in a family member, discuss this with a qualified professional. A careful evaluation by dint of a neuropsychologist, speech/language pathologist, or occupational therapist may determine the nature of the changes and the therapies and rehabilitation approaches that may help. Call your Society at 1-800-FIGHT-MS, for referrals or additional information.

Sharon Brown is an admitted spades addict. jaculate suggestions and site addresses to her at: scrib4ms@hotmail.com.

COPYRIGHT 2003 National Multiple Sclerosis Society

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