Effects of mirror therapy on hand function in patients with orthopedic injuries

Mirror therapy as a neural based rehabilitation technique، produces illusion of two healthy limbs for the brain. The aim of the present study was to determine effects of mirror therapy in restoring hand function in patients with active Range of Motion (ROM) impairments following orthopaedic injuries. In a randomised controlled trial، 30 patients with active ROM impairment (8 men، 22 women; mean age: 38 years) were measured. Intervention group received mirror therapy، 30-minute a day، 5 days a week for 3-week، as well، half an hour conventional rehabilitation after each mirror therapy session. Patients in the control group received the same treatment program، but instead of mirror، they directly observed the affected hand. Outcome measures including Total Active Motion (TAM)، and Disabilities of Arm، Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire were given pre، and post treatment، and 3 weeks later. Trial is registered as a randomised controlled trial in Iranian Clinical Trial Registry، number NCT01503762 in http: //clinicaltrials. gov/. Final analysis was performed on 23 patients. The TAM and DASH scores significantly improved in the post-test in both groups، and improvement continued during the follow-up period; however، mirror therapy group exhibited significantly greater changes in the TAM and DASH scores than control (p<0. 01)، either at the post-test (154º vs. 62º; 34 vs. 15)، or follow-up session (181º vs. 88º; 39 vs. 26). Mirror therapy in combination to a conventional rehabilitation program produced more improvement in hand function compared with a control group which might be through activating neural networks inhibited after injury.