Effectiveness of Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of mirror therapy (MT) for phantom limb pain (PLP). Data SourcesPubMed, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, CNKI, and WanFang Data were used to search for studies published up to March 31, 2021. Study SelectionRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the pain intensity of MT for PLP were performed. A total of 2094 articles were found. Among them, 10 were eligible for the final analysis. Data ExtractionThe quality of the RCTs was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale by 2 independent reviewers. Outcome data were pooled according to follow-up intervals (1, 3, 6, and 12mo). Duration times were used as a basis for distinguishing subgroups. The primary evaluation was by visual analog scale. The PEDro scale was used to assess the methodological quality of studies. Data SynthesisMeta-analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease in pain in the MT group vs the control group within 1 month (I2=0%; standardized mean difference [SMD]=−0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.79 to −0.13; P = .007). The patients with pain for longer than 1 year benefited more from MT (I2=0%; SMD=−0.46; 95% CI, −0.85 to −0.07; P = .02). ConclusionsMT has beneficial effects for patients with PLP in the short-term, as evidenced by their improved pain scores. There was no evidence that MT had a long-term effect, but that may be a product of limited data. For patients with long-term PLP, MT may be an effective treatment.