Effect of Mirror Therapy on Arteriovenous Fistula Cannulation-Related Pain Severity in Hemodialysis Patients

Hemodialysis patients experience pains induced by cannulation of an arteriovenous (AV) fistula. The effect of mirror therapy on patients’ pain severity has not been investigated in individuals living with hemodialysis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of mirror therapy on AV fistula cannulation-related pain severity in hemodialysis patients. This study was conducted on 30 hemodialysis patients admitted to two hospitals in Mashhad, Iran, during 2018. Pain severity was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale for pain. The mean pain scores in the control session (pre-intervention phase), non-adaptive phase (immediately after looking in the mirror), and adaptive phase (ten minutes after looking in the mirror) were 4.8±1.1, 3.9±1.1, and 2.6±1.22, respectively. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the given sessions (P<0.001). Mirror therapy could be effective in reducing AV fistula cannulation-related pain severity in hemodialysis patients.