title: [Mirror therapy for phantom limb pain--a systematic review].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence for the treatment of phantom limb pain with mirror therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled studies were identified by a systematic search strategy in the databases "Medline" and "The Cochrane Library". The studies were evaluated using the quality criteria of the JADAD-scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three small-sized randomised controlled studies were identified. Unfortunately, these studies lacked methodological quality. One of them found a significant decrease of phantom pain after four weeks of daily mirror therapy sessions. Two other studies could not find a significant difference in the reduction of phantom limb pain between intervention- and control-groups. To date, there is only circumstantial evidence for mirror therapy in phantom pain. Hence, no firm recommendations regarding this treatment option are possible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More sufficiently powered randomised controlled studies with high methodological quality are mandatory to investigate the analgesic effect of mirror therapy in phantom limb pain.
authors: Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Medizinische Universität Wien, Wien, Austria. stefan.seidel@meduniwien.ac.at
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Seidel
authors: Gregor
authors: G
authors: Kasprian
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Sycha
authors: Eduard
authors: E
authors: Auff
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009068:Movement; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010591:Phantom Limb / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome