Mirror Box Therapy: Getting Your Brain To Treat Your Pain!

Mirror Therapy (or Mirror Box Therapy) is a form of rehabilitation which is used to decrease severe pain and disability while enhancing motor skills. It helps promote movement thereby increasing the function of the affected part, resulting in enhanced daily activities. It is one of the latest therapies to gently treat chronic pain conditions like Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome.

So, how does it work?

The brain is the control centre of the body and has to process information coming from all five senses; eyes, nose, tongue, ears and skin. Mirror Therapy works by making use of our vision to trick the brain by giving it a positive, pain free movement feedback.

In simpler terms, when the unaffected part is moved, it creates an illusion that the painful part (which is covered by the mirror or box) is moving. Hence, the patients are ‘tricked’ by their brains into believing that the affected part is moving without pain.

However, when we view a body part in the mirror, we activate both the brain areas. Although the degree of activation of the hidden part is lesser in comparison to the moving part, it has been proven to be highly effective in treating various conditions such as:
1. Phantom Limb pain following amputations
2. Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
3. Carpal Tunnel syndrome
4. Painful Knee Osteoarthritis
5. Post Immobilization due to trauma or fractures
6. Stroke
7. Spinal Cord Injury

In conclusion, by using the latest techniques from Chronic Pain Research, one can achieve a good amount of relief even with chronic pain. The latest studies are showing that chronic pain can be treated, rather than just managed. Content and information Courtesy – Neuro Orthopaedic Institute (NOI).

Please feel free to dial your nearest PhysioRehab clinic for more information.