Effectiveness of mirror therapy versus conventional physiotherapy in improving functional capacity in patients with complex regional pain syndrome

Background: CRPS is characterized by exquisite burning pain that begins in the distribution of an injured peripheral nerve and then spreads beyond it. It is always associated with an injury to a major nerve. Mirror therapy (MT) is a non-pharmacological and alternative treatment strategy to use a mirror to create a reflective illusion of an affected limb in order to trick brain into thinking and movement occurred without pain. Conventional Physiotherapy (CT) is defined as the treatment of movement disorders caused by impairments of joints and the muscles that move the joints. Objective: To find out the effectiveness of Mirror Therapy Versus Conventional Physiotherapy in improving functional capacity in patients with CRPS. Method: 40 CRPS subjects were included in the study using random sampling and divided into 2 groups, Group A (Experimental) and Group B (Control). Group A subjects were treated with Mirror therapy exercises, and Group B subjects were treated with TENS and Conventional Therapy for 8 weeks. Results: Both the groups showed statistically significant different pre and post intervention. However the different between the groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The present study concluded that both groups had significant improvement and were equally effective in reducing pain and improving grip strength. But on comparing Groups A and B, no group seemed to be superior to the other.