title: [Mirror therapy for inflammatory rheumatic pain: Potentials and limitations].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mirror therapy reduces chronic pain and might also be suitable for the treatment of inflammatory rheumatic pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  On the basis of the relevant literature this article a) characterizes the universal alterations in body perception and body representation in chronic pain, b) describes the potential mechanisms underlying mirror therapy and c) discusses the chances of success of mirror therapy for the treatment of inflammatory rheumatic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature search on the effectiveness and mechanisms of mirror therapy and derived procedures for the potential treatment of pain in inflammatory rheumatic disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is evidence that mirror therapy can alleviate chronic pain experiences by correcting the accompanying distorted body perception as well as body representation by multimodal sensory stimulation. As there is probably a similar distortion in persons with chronic pain related to inflammatory rheumatic disorders, mirror therapy might also have positive effects in this field; however, the accompanying characteristics of these disorders, such as motor impairment and motor-evoked pain, may complicate the implementation of this kind of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mirror therapy represents an intervention with few side effects and might have positive effects on the experience of chronic pain in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disorders. Further clinical research is required in order to evaluate the potential of mirror therapy and associated interventional methods for the treatment of inflammatory rheumatic pain.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Neuropsychologie und Klinische Psychologie, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Quadrat J5, 68159, Mannheim, Deutschland. r.bekrater-bodmann@zi-mannheim.de.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bekrater-Bodmann
mesh_terms: D018771:Arthralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology / Q000379:methods*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Body perception; Body representation; Literature search; Rheumatic diseases; Therapy