The Effect of Mirror Therapy on Upper Extremity Functioning for Subacute Stroke Patients

Background and Aim: Three quarters of strokes occur in the region supplied by the middle cerebral artery. As a consequence, the upper limb will be affected in a large number of patients. Purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of mirror therapy in rehabilitation of upper extremity function in sub-acute stroke. Materials and Methods: In this study, a systematic review of the databases google scholar, pubmed, science direct, Elsevier since ۲۰۱۹ with the keywords mirror therapy, upper extremity, subacute stroke Search is done. Results: The twelve included studies in this systematic review evaluated the efficacy of mirror therapy for improving upper extremity function in patients post-stroke. Outcomes evaluated include upper extremity function, motor recovery of the upper extremity, and independence in ADLs. Conclusion: Overall, positive outcomes were found for the use of mirror therapy in patients post-stroke for the following outcomes: Upper extremity function, Motor recovery  and Independence in ADLs. Given the positive outcomes, low cost, and low risk associated with mirror therapy, it should be considered as a legitimate therapy option when working with patients post stroke.

Keywords:

Middle , cerebral artery , Stroke , Upper extremity