The effects of 12 sessions of mirror therapy on postural control kinetic variables of amputation below the knee in terms of the manipulation of afferent information

Mirror therapy is a relatively new intervention that focuses on moving the defective part in front of the mirror and the intervention is proposed to be an important tool to improve stability during rehabilitation program of amputee. This study aims to evaluate the effects of 12 sessions of mirror therapy on postural control kinetic variables of amputees when manipulating sensory information.
In this quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and random group design, 14 below knee amputees (n =7 control and n =7 experimental) were enrolled. The experimental group engaged in 12 session of exercise therapy in front of mirror but the control group just did their routine daily activities without any intervention. To asses postural control, Computerized Dynamic Posturography was used which shows the balance score according to two variables of stability and displacement of the center of gravity while manipulating sensory organization in 6 conditions (absence or presence of vision, presence or manipulation of vestibular and kinesthetic information). For data analysis, multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) with repeated measures and Bonferroni post-hoc test were used.
The results showed that postural control improved in the experimental group compared to the control group in all six sensory manipulation conditions. The balance improvement in the mirror therapy group in the first condition (existence of three senses of vision, vestibular and kinesthetic) and second condition (elimination of sight and presence of vestibular and kinesthetic information) has been higher than other conditions. Balance scores were worse in condition 6 (manipulation of vestibular and kinesthetic) in the control group compare to other sensory conditions.
Finding of the research showed that 12 sessions of mirror therapy can improve balance in people with below knee amputations. Moreover, application of mirror in exercise sessions can reduce the amplitude of fluctuation and increase alignment and strategies, which helps promotion of balance control.