Effect of mirror therapy on motor and sensory recovery from brachial plexus injury: Case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31157/an.v28i4.449Keywords:
mirror therapy, peripheral nerve injury, brachial palsy, brachial plexus injuryAbstract
Introduction: Brachial plexus injuries generate muscle weakness and altered sensitivity of the upper limb. When a peripheral nerve injury occurs, a reduction in afferences is generated, which alters the cortical representation of the segments involved, this generates poor motor and sensory recovery. Mirror therapy contributes to recovery from peripheral nerve injury by stimulating the somatosensory, primary motor, and premotor cortices, which in turn increases corticomuscular excitability having sensory and motor impact.
Clinical findings: This is a 35-year-old male patient with an axonotmesis-type brachial plexus injury with an evolution time of almost ten months. Patient presents total paralysis and anesthesia of the right upper limb.
Intervention: Task-based mirror therapy was applied twice a week for four weeks. Sensitivity, pain, muscle activation, muscle strength, range of motion, and level of disability of the upper limb were evaluated.
Outcomes: Improvement in neuropathic pain and sensitivity regulation was observed, as well as increased activation of the main muscles of the upper limb (Deltoids, biceps, triceps, extensor carpi radialis longus, flexor carpi ulnaris).
Conclusion: The application of mirror therapy can be suggested as an effective low-cost auxiliary tool with short-term results for the improvement of neuropathic pain and for the regulation of sensitivity in peripheral nerve injuries. Likewise, its use could be recommended to stimulate muscle activation of the upper limb.
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September 2022-present © Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez. Open access articles under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. No commercial re-use is allowed.
January-September 2022 © The authors. Open access articles under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. No commercial re-use is allowed.
January 2014-December 2021 © Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez. Open access articles under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
