Effectiveness of mirror therapy in patients with pain
Keywords:
chronic pain, mirror movement therapy, phantom limbAbstract
Introduction: Mirror therapy is a physiotherapeutic technique based on visual imagery, which is used as an innovative sensorimotor tool to treat pain-related conditions.
Objective: To describe the effectiveness of mirror therapy in various pain patient populations.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted including 26 randomized clinical trials obtained from Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed and Scielo databases. The terms “Mirror Movement Therapy AND Pain” were used; inclusion criteria included studies published in English, Spanish and Portuguese with accessible texts, while duplicate studies were excluded. Methodological quality was assessed with the PEDro scale.
Results: The reviewed studies applied mirror therapy in different conditions: amputations (9 articles), stroke (7), median nerve injuries (4), complex regional pain syndrome (3), neck pain (1), shoulder capsulitis (1) and fractures (1). Assessments employed tools such as the Visual Analog Scale and the McGill brief pain questionnaire.
Conclusions: Mirror therapy is an effective tool for treating various types of pain, as it promotes activation of the somatosensory cortex and primary motor cortex. Its integration with other physical therapy interventions enhances results and increases its effectiveness. Furthermore, its development alongside augmented reality offers a promising approach, as it improves body image representation through the manipulation of colors and movements.
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