Mirror therapy shown to be effective at treating complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)

Mirror therapy has been shown to successfully treat phantom limb pain but there is some evidence that it can also prove effective at treating CRPS as well.

In a recent study by Angelo Cacchio and colleagues in Italy (Cacchio et al, 2009) 24 stroke patients with CRPS type 1 of a paretic arm were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: mirror therapy, covered mirror, and mental imagery.

In both the mirror and covered-mirror groups, patients performed several movements of the affected arm for 30 mins daily. The primary outcome was severity of pain upon movement, motor function, brush-induced allodynia, and edema after 4 weeks of therapy.

The active mirror group enjoyed a substantial decrease in pain severity after 4 weeks. In this group 7 of 8 patients reported reduced pain. In the covered group, by contrast, only 1 of 8 participants reported reduced pain while 5 reported an increase in pain. In the mental imagery group only 2 patients reported a decrease in pain while 6 reported an increase in pain.

Subsequent to the initial 4-week randomization period, 12 patients from the covered mirror and mental imagery groups crossed over to active mirror therapy. Eleven out of these 12 patients subsequently reported a reduction of pain after 4 weeks.

Cacchio, A., De Blasis, E., Necozione, S., di Orio, F., & Santilli, V. (2009). Mirror therapy for chronic complex regional pain syndrome type 1 and stroke. N Engl J Med, 361(6), 634-6.