Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 357; no. 21; pp. 2206 - 2207
• Main Authors: Chan, Brenda L, Heilman, Kenneth M, Tsao, Jack W, Witt, Richard, Charrow, Alexandra P, Magee, Amanda, Howard, Robin, Pasquina, Paul F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 22.11.2007
• Subjects: Amputation - adverse effects; Amputation Stumps; Audiovisual Aids; Biofeedback, Psychology; Cross-Over Studies; Humans; Imagery (Psychotherapy); Movement; Pain Measurement; Phantom Limb - therapy
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc071927

The authors conducted a trial of mirror therapy versus imagery therapy in patients with phantom limb pain after the amputation of a leg or foot. Pain intensity decreased with mirror treatment, as did the number and duration of pain episodes. To the Editor: Phantom limb pain occurs in at least 90% of limb amputees. 1 Such pain may be induced by a conflict between visual feedback and proprioceptive representations of the amputated limb. 2 Thus, illusions or imagery of movement of the amputated limb might alleviate phantom limb pain. Mirror therapy has been used with some success in patients who have had a hand or an arm amputated. 3 Since the critical component of mirror therapy may be the induction of limb imagery, we conducted a randomized, sham-controlled trial of mirror therapy versus imagery therapy involving patients with phantom limb pain after the . . .