Mirror Therapy for the Alleviation of Phantom Limb Pain Following Amputation: A literature review

Abstract

Introduction: Phantom Limb pain (PLP) affects up to 85% of all patients following an amputation, causing debilitating effects on their quality of life. Mirror Therapy (MT) has been reported to have potential success for the alleviation of PLP. Current understanding of PLP and the efficacy of MT for its alleviation are still unclear, therefore guidelines for treatment protocols are lacking. This literature review assesses the current best evidence for using MT to alleviate PLP of patients with amputation. Method: The authors systematically searched the academic databases Medline, Amed, CINAHL and Google Scholar, using key search terms with inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify relevant articles on the use of MT in populations of patients suffering PLP after unilateral limb amputation. Findings: Seven primary papers were identified and appraised. All the articles reported significant PLP alleviation after using MT with a trend for achieving phantom limb movement (PLM) prior to pain relief. Conclusions: Mirror Therapy is a promising intervention for PLP. Regular MT sessions are required to maintain treatment effect. Causes of PLP and pathways to its alleviation may be multifactorial; therefore further well-conducted RCTs are required to identify best practice.