Efficacy of mirror therapy for stroke patients with hemiplegia

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of mirror therapy for stroke patients with hemiplegia. Methods Eighty stroke patients with hemiplegia were randomly divided into study group and control group with 40 cases in each group. Conventional rehabilitation training was given to patients in both groups; patients in study group were given additional mirror therapy for 24 weeks. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scale was used to assess the motor function, Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) scale to assess the activity of daily living, Modified Barthel Index to assess the ability of daily living, Brunnstrom Stage Scale to evaluate the states of the upper extremities, and the modified Ashworth Scale to evaluate muscle spasticity before and after 24-week treatment. Results After 24 weeks of treatment, there were significant differences in FMA score [(44.08 + 2.44) vs. (40.53+ 2.11), t=7.07, P 0.05). Conclusion Mirror therapy can improve upper limb and hand function of the stroke patients with hemiplegia and enhance their ability of daily life activities; however, it has no significant effect to improve the limb spasm. Key words: Stroke; Hemiplegia; Therapy; Rehabilitation