Shabaani Mehr M, Khaleghdoost Mohammadi T, Jafroudi S, Kazemnezhad Leyli E, Majd Teimoori Z. The Effect of Mirror Therapy on the Walking Ability of Patients After Stroke. JHNM 2019; 29 (4) :200-209
URL:
http://hnmj.gums.ac.ir/article-1-703-en.html
1- Nursing (MSN), School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. , khaleghdoost@gums.ac.ir
2- Instructor, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
3- Associate Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center (SDHRC), Bio-Statistics, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Abstract: (3323 Views)
Introduction: Stroke is the most prevalent debilitating neurological disease in adults, which damages the motor system. Therefore, rehabilitation programs are essential to improve the condition of these patients. One of the novel rehabilitation methods is Mirror Therapy (MT).
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MT on the walking ability of patients after stroke.
Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 93 patients with stroke were studied in one of the physiotherapy centers in Rasht City, Iran, in 2016. They were assigned into three groups using block randomization technique. In the MT and nonreflective groups, the rehabilitation exercises besides routine rehab program were administered in twenty 15-min sessions every other day in front of the mirror (reflective plane for the MT group) and wood (nonreflective plane for the nonreflective group). The control group received only routine physiotherapy program. The walking ability of the samples was evaluated by the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) test before and after the intervention. For analyzing the collected data, we used the Chi-squared test, ANOVA, Shapiro-Wilk test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Friedman test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model.
Results: There were no significant differences between the three groups before the intervention in terms of FAC test score and confounding variables. But all three groups showed a significant difference compared to their pretest scores (P<0.05). Also, the MT group showed more significant improvement in walking ability compared to the other two groups.
Conclusion: Mirror therapy, as a simple and client-centered treatment, combined with the routine rehabilitation programs, can improve patients’ ability to walk after a stroke.
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Highlights
● Stroke is the most common debilitating motor disorder in adults.
● Severe motor disorder in the limbs results in rehabilitation failure and the patient’s disability.
● In most cases, rehabilitation plays the most critical part in ensuring the recovery of post-stroke patients.
● Mirror therapy is a simple and client-centered treatment for improving motor ability after a stroke.
● Mirror therapy, combined with conventional rehabilitation exercises, can improve the walking ability of post-stroke patients.
Plain Language Summary
Stroke is one of the most common debilitating diseases of the nervous system. It is a significant cause of disability that requires home care. It is also the most important cause of long-term disability in the world. Motor disabilities, including unilateral paresis, are the most common and worst complications of a stroke. Severe motor disorder in the limbs leads to failure in rehabilitation therapy and patient’s disability. Conventional methods for treatment include paralyzed limbs exercises, functional electrical stimulation, and motor therapy. Recent studies reported different outcomes to these treatments, and have not yet been able to identify the most effective method for unilateral paresis. Mirror therapy is one of the new therapies that has recently shown positive results in patients with motor disabilities. In this study, 93 hemiplegic stroke patients were studied in three groups. The mirror and non-reflective groups received twenty 15min rehabilitation therapy every other day in front of reflective and wood (non-reflective side) in addition to routine physiotherapy. The control group received only the routine physiotherapy program. According to the results, there was no significant difference in the walking ability of groups before the intervention. But after the intervention, all groups showed substantial improvement, and the mirror group showed more significant improvement compared to the other two groups.
Article Type :
Research |
Subject:
Special Received: 2019/07/15 | Accepted: 2019/08/11 | Published: 2019/10/1