Mirror therapy in patients with peripheral nerve injury of the upper extremity; a randomized clinical trial.

The recovery of hand function after nerve injury is often disappointing. Recent studies show that the brain adapts to the loss of nerve function in such a way that the hand representation is lost after several weeks. The hypothesis of the present study is that providing the brain with the illusion of a ‘normal’ hand might slow this process in the first weeks of recovery, and may help in regaining the lost function when the peripheral nerve recovers.

In the present single-blind randomized clinical trial, the patient will be watching a mirror reflection of the normal hand projected over the affected hand. Training will be structured using a DVD with photos and movies of a normal moving hand. The mirror treatment is additional to standard therapy. Outcome will be compared to a standard treatment group with similar treatment intensity. Primary outcome is muscle strength and sensibility. Secondary outcome is cold intolerance, pain, and ADL.

Mirror therapy in patients with peripheral nerve injury of the upper extremity has a positive effect on muscle strength, sensibility, cold intolerance, pain, and ADL compared to standard treatment.

N/A

Mirror therapy compared to standard treatment.