BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPSt1) of the upper limb is a painful and debilitating condition, frequent after stroke, and interferes with the rehabilitative process and outcome. However, treatments used for CRPSt1 of the upper limb are limited. OBJECTIVE: . This randomized controlled study was conducted to compare the effectiveness on pain and upper limb function of mirror therapy on CRPSt1 of upper limb in patients with acute stroke. METHODS: . Of 208 patients with first episode of unilateral stroke admitted to the authors' rehabilitation center, 48 patients with CRPSt1 of the affected upper limb were enrolled in a randomized controlled study, with a 6-month follow-up, and assigned to either a mirror therapy group or placebo control group. The primary end points were a reduction in the visual analogue scale score of pain at rest, on movement, and brush-induced tactile allodynia. The secondary end points were improvement in motor function as assessed by the Wolf Motor Function Test and Motor Activity Log. RESULTS: . The mean scores of both the primary and secondary end points significantly improved in the mirror group (P < .001). No statistically significant improvement was observed in any of the control group values (P > .001). Moreover, statistically significant differences after treatment (P < .001) and at the 6-month follow-up were found between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: . The results indicate that mirror therapy effectively reduces pain and enhances upper limb motor function in stroke patients with upper limb CRPSt1.

Mirror therapy in complex regional pain syndrome type 1 of the upper limb in stroke patients.

CACCHIO, ANGELO;
2009-01-01

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPSt1) of the upper limb is a painful and debilitating condition, frequent after stroke, and interferes with the rehabilitative process and outcome. However, treatments used for CRPSt1 of the upper limb are limited. OBJECTIVE: . This randomized controlled study was conducted to compare the effectiveness on pain and upper limb function of mirror therapy on CRPSt1 of upper limb in patients with acute stroke. METHODS: . Of 208 patients with first episode of unilateral stroke admitted to the authors' rehabilitation center, 48 patients with CRPSt1 of the affected upper limb were enrolled in a randomized controlled study, with a 6-month follow-up, and assigned to either a mirror therapy group or placebo control group. The primary end points were a reduction in the visual analogue scale score of pain at rest, on movement, and brush-induced tactile allodynia. The secondary end points were improvement in motor function as assessed by the Wolf Motor Function Test and Motor Activity Log. RESULTS: . The mean scores of both the primary and secondary end points significantly improved in the mirror group (P < .001). No statistically significant improvement was observed in any of the control group values (P > .001). Moreover, statistically significant differences after treatment (P < .001) and at the 6-month follow-up were found between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: . The results indicate that mirror therapy effectively reduces pain and enhances upper limb motor function in stroke patients with upper limb CRPSt1.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11697/10437
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