Korean J Pain.  2012 Oct;25(4):272-274. 10.3344/kjp.2012.25.4.272.

Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain

• Kim SY
• Kim YY

• KMID: 2278170
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2012.25.4.272

Abstract

Phantom limb pain is a painful sensation that is perceived in a body part that no longer exists. To control this pain, many methods have been used such as medication, physical treatment, nerve block, neuromodulation, surgical treatment and mirror therapy. However, until now, there effects have been uncertain. We report the successful reduction of phantom limb pain using mirror therapy when other treatments initially failed to control the pain.

Keyword

amputation; mirror neurons; phantom limb pain

MeSH Terms

Amputation
Mirror Neurons
Nerve Block
Phantom Limb
Sensation

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Mirror image. The patient is watching the reflected image of his intact right arm.

Reference

1. Weinstein SM. Phantom limb pain and related disorders. Neurol Clin. 1998; 16:919–936. PMID: 9767070.

2. Carlen PL, Wall PD, Nadvorna H, Steinbach T. Phantom limbs and related phenomena in recent traumatic amputations. Neurology. 1978; 28:211–217. PMID: 564474.

3. Hayes C, Armstrong-Brown A, Burstal R. Perioperative intravenous ketamine infusion for the prevention of persistent post-amputation pain: a randomized, controlled trial. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2004; 32:330–338. PMID: 15264726.

4. Weeks SR, Anderson-Barnes VC, Tsao JW. Phantom limb pain: theories and therapies. Neurologist. 2010; 16:277–286. PMID: 20827116.

5. Nikolajsen L, Ilkjaer S, Krøner K, Christensen JH, Jensen TS. The influence of preamputation pain on postamputation stump and phantom pain. Pain. 1997; 72:393–405. PMID: 9313280.

6. Cheong YK, Lee C, Son Y, Song YK, Kim TY, Lee SW. The trial of continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine in patients with phantom limb pain: a case report. Korean J Pain. 2006; 19:233–236.

7. Ramachandran VS, Rogers-Ramachandran D. Synaesthesia in phantom limbs induced with mirrors. Proc Biol Sci. 1996; 263:377–386. PMID: 8637922.

8. McCabe CS, Haigh RC, Halligan PW, Blake DR. Simulating sensory-motor incongruence in healthy volunteers: implications for a cortical model of pain. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2005; 44:509–516. PMID: 15644392.

9. Rizzolatti G, Fogassi L, Gallese V. Mirrors of the mind. Sci Am. 2006; 295:54–61. PMID: 17076084.

10. Rossi S, Tecchio F, Pasqualetti P, Ulivelli M, Pizzella V, Romani GL, et al. Somatosensory processing during movement observation in humans. Clin Neurophysiol. 2002; 113:16–24. PMID: 11801420.

11. Ramachandran VS, Rogers-Ramachandran D. Sensations referred to a patient's phantom arm from another subjects intact arm: perceptual correlates of mirror neurons. Med Hypotheses. 2008; 70:1233–1234. PMID: 18329821.

12. Sumitani M, Miyauchi S, McCabe CS, Shibata M, Maeda L, Saitoh Y, et al. Mirror visual feedback alleviates deafferentation pain, depending on qualitative aspects of the pain: a preliminary report. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2008; 47:1038–1043. PMID: 18463143.

13. Rothgangel AS, Braun SM, Beurskens AJ, Seitz RJ, Wade DT. The clinical aspects of mirror therapy in rehabilitation: a systematic review of the literature. Int J Rehabil Res. 2011; 34:1–13. PMID: 21326041.

14. Ezendam D, Bongers RM, Jannink MJ. Systematic review of the effectiveness of mirror therapy in upper extremity function. Disabil Rehabil. 2009; 31:2135–2149. PMID: 19903124.