Phantom limb pain has shown to be exceedingly difficult to treat, leading researchers to conduct a study aimed at assessing the medium- and long-term efficacy of mirror therapy in adults with unilateral amputations. They concluded that their findings supported the efficacy of mirror therapy for some patients experiencing phantom limb pain.
Twelve adults with upper- or lower-limb amputations and phantom limb pain were selected. Weekly sessions of nurse-guided, in-person mirror therapy training lasting 90 minutes were implemented for six months. In parallel, self-administered home sessions were added for 20 minutes per day, five days per week, for a duration of 12 months.
At baseline, and at three, six, and 12 months the following variables were analyzed: subjects’ clinical characteristics, pain intensity (visual analog scale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), quality of life (QoL SF-36), impression of patient’s global improvement (Patient Global Impression scale), and hours of mirror therapy in consultation and at home.
Statistically significant differences in mean pain intensity scores were found between baseline, and measurements at three, six, and 12 months. Mean disability scores showed statistically significant improvement at around three months. QoL and mean baseline scores in physical function and body pain dimensions improved significantly. Patient global impression scores were statistically significant, according to the study’s authors.
The open-access study, “Mirror Therapy in Unilateral Amputee Patients With Phantom Limb Pain,” was published in the journal Pain Management Nursing.
