It may seem bizarre that something as simple as a mirror can be used in the treatment of phantom limb pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and stroke rehabilitation, as well as for hand and foot rehabilitation following an injury or surgery.
Mirror therapy is a drug free treatment and has been described in medical literature to be of benefit to 80% of users – some even report numbers as high as 95% and that rehabilitation can be dramatically improved by integrating physical and mental practice. By utilizing mirrors to trick patients’ brains into thinking that they were moving their hand or limb.
The use of visual feedback with the mirror box as a technique for accelerating recover from phantom pain and stroke was originally invented by VS Ramachandran MD at the university of California San Diego. Since then the procedure has undergone placebo-controlled studies and also been employed with success for CRPS and hand injury cases. Dr Ramachandran recognizes the value of making the box widely available but has no financial stake in the product as currently marketed by our company.
The patient places the affected limb inside the mirror box and their unaffected limb in front of the mirror. Seeing the reflection of the unaffected limb, the patient thus receives visual feedback from a virtual image of their affected limb appearing as if it is normal.
The patient places the affected limb inside the mirror box and their unaffected limb in front of the mirror. Seeing the reflection of the unaffected limb, the patient thus receives visual feedback from a virtual image of their affected limb appearing as if it is normal.
It is suggested, limb pain often derives from the hardwiring of the brain. Scanning the brain using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has shown that by using a Mirror Box as often and as long as is comfortable the Neuro network within the brain can start to rewire itself to map its new profile and compensate for the damaged or missing limb, improving the patients’ quality of life.
Improvements come with repeated exercises. This is why a portable, collapsible and lightweight Mirror box is an invaluable tool in your recovery, allowing you to do your rehabilitation exercises wherever and whenever you wish.