Phantom Limb Pain: Mirrors May Help

[Christopher]

This is the first actually trial based study I've read about mirror boxes.




http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/ ... arch_story


Phantom Limb Pain: Mirrors May Help
Study: Mirror Therapy May Reduce Phantom Limb Pain in Amputees

Nov 21, 2007


(WebMD) Mirrors may help curb phantom limb pain, a new study shows.

After an amputation, many people experience pain in the area where their amputated limb had been. That's called phantom limb pain .

The new study on phantom limb pain tests a technique called mirror therapy.

Eighteen patients took part, each of whom had phantom limb pain from an amputated foot. First, they rated their phantom limb pain. Then they were split into three groups.

Patients in one group were assigned to mirror therapy. They watched themselves in a mirror as they tried to move their phantom limb.

Of course, the patients couldn't move an amputated foot. The point was to see if their brain and nerves would dim phantom limb pain based on what they saw in the mirror.

Patients in another group performed the same exercise, but their mirror was covered by a sheet, so they couldn't see themselves.

The third group of patients didn't use a mirror at all. Instead, they tried mental visualization, imagining themselves moving their amputated limb.




Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain



The patients practiced their assigned technique for 15 minutes per day for four weeks, and then they rated their phantom limb pain again.

All of the patients in the mirror therapy group reported a drop in their phantom limb pain. Two of them also had brief bouts of grief as they watched themselves in the mirror.

In comparison, one patient in the covered mirror group and two in the visualization group reported a reduction in phantom limb pain.

Phantom limb pain scores worsened for three patients in the covered mirror group, four in the visualization group, and none in the mirror therapy group.

The mirror may have provided visual feedback that turned down the brain's pain pathways, suggest the researchers, who don't know exactly how that process works.

They included Brenda Chan of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and Jack Tsao, MD, DPhil, of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.

Their report appears in tomorrow's edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.

[stx431]

Hey,

Check out this link...

http://www.mirrorboxtherapy.com/index.htm

c-ya, Dick

[Steve]

I understand that "Phantom Pain" is similar or is a type of neuropathic pain, but isn't the ability to see your limb differnt than one who has had it amputated ? Does the mirror trick the brain in believing it has that limb ? and if it does, TBPI have their limbs so how does the mirror help?

[jennyb]

You hide your affected limb so that the reflected image is of a working arm/hand. It worked for me to get rid of that awful clenching pressure feeling, but it also made me feel very weird.

[MW]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to hear from anyone who has tried this over the long term. I just started mirror therapy with my OT this week and I'm instructed to practice 15 min 5x a week. I've set up a tall mirror on one side of a door, then straddle the door so my bad arm is behind the door and the good one is reflected in the mirror.

When I do the mirror exercises, I find that the burning/squeezing feeling goes away almost immediately. However, when I stop, the pain comes back pretty quickly. I realize this takes several weeks of regular practice, but has anyone found that the mirror therapy had a long term effect of decreasing pain and/or reducing the number of meds you need?

Mike

PS: Thanks to those who initially posted about this topic, as I wouldn't have tried this otherwise.

[Its1105]

I started mirror therapy with my OT a bit recently. She did it a few times with me at the office. I honestly didnt see a difference with pain. I have only done it a few times though. I don't do it on my own at home yet.