Mirror therapy uses a mirror
to create the illusion that the arm or leg affected by the stroke is moving
. After a stroke, mirror therapy can improve movement in affected upper or lower limbs and activities of daily living, and appears useful as a supplement to other stroke rehabilitation activities.
Is mirror therapy shown effective?
Conclusions: Most of the evidence for mirror therapy is from studies with weak methodological quality. The present review showed a trend that mirror therapy is effective in
upper limb treatment of stroke patients
and patients with CRPS, whereas the effectiveness in other patient groups has yet to be determined.
Who is mirror therapy most useful for?
Mirror therapy is used to
improve motor function after stroke
. During mirror therapy, a mirror is placed in the person's midsagittal plane, thus reflecting movements of the non-paretic side as if it were the affected side.
Is mirror therapy more effective than mental practice?
Mirror therapy and mental imagery are both good and cost-effective rehabilitation aids for amputee patients to reduce PLP, but
mirror therapy appears to be more effective than mental imagery
.
What is the principle behind the mirror box therapy?
The principle of mirror therapy (MT) is
the use of a mirror to create a reflective illusion of an affected limb in order to trick the brain into thinking movement has occurred without pain
, or to create positive visual feedback of a limb movement.
How often should you do mirror therapy?
Do Mirror Therapy
three to five times per day
. Initially, you may only be able to observe the image of the mirrored hand and perhaps make small movements. With time, try to make larger and smoother movements with both arms.
Is mirroring therapy easy or difficult?
Training Tips.
‘Mirror boxes' are relatively easy to build and large
, custom mirrors may be required for pain states in the lower limbs and shoulders. NOI recommends using sturdy Perspex mirrors to avoid any glass injuries. Start with exercises involving no or little movement – just watch your unaffected hand.
How long does mirror therapy last?
A typical mirror therapy session should last
about 30 minutes
, but patients can split this time up into three 10-minute or two 15-minute sessions, if preferred.
How is mirror therapy implemented?
- Place your affected arm behind a mirror so that when looking into the mirror the reflection of the unaffected arm appears in place of the hidden one.
- While looking into the mirror try to perform a series of basic movement exercises with both hands.
What is bobath principle?
Bobath is based around the brains ability to adapt to change and reorganise and recover after neurological damage. The Bobath approach rests on a number of principles that include:
Encouragement of normal movement patterns
.
Focusing on quality of movement
.
Normalisation of tone to facilitate active movement
.
How does mirror therapy trick the brain?
Mirror therapy does this by tricking the brain:
it gives the illusion that the missing limb is moving, as the person looks at the real, remaining limb in a mirror
. This way, the brain ignores the fact that it receives no signal of movement from the amputated limb itself.
How mirror therapy can help in phantom limb?
The mirror image of the normal body part helps reorganize and integrate the mismatch between proprioception and visual feedback of the removed body
. Thus, enhancing the treatment effect for phantom limb pain.
How does mirror therapy help with pain?
Mirror therapy uses
a mirror to create a reflective image or illusion of the painful limb
. The image retrains the brain to think that the limb is normal and now they can move it. It is important to make sure the image in the mirror looks exactly like the painful limb, which is hidden behind the mirror.
Why does mirror box relieve pain?
Mirror therapy works by
essentially “tricking the brain” out of pain
. Because pain signals are processed in the brain, we can change the brain “input” and get different “output” in terms of pain. When mirror therapy is practiced, the brain receives information that both limbs are intact and functional.
Do occupational therapists use mirror therapy?
Mirror Therapy for
Stroke Rehabilitation
: A Viable Treatment Option. If you are an occupational therapist who works in stroke rehabilitation (no matter the setting), you know that you must constantly update your skills and educate yourself on the latest treatment techniques.
What is mirror theory?
In theoretical linguistics, mirror theory refers
to a particular approach to the architecture of the language organ developed by Michael Brody
, who claims his theory to be purely representational (unlike most of the current generative theories that are either derivational or combining derivation and representation).
