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Introduction
Saebo is pleased to introduce a simple and effective therapy tool used to treat motor
dysfunction. Saebo's Mirror Box Therapy, a treatment technique first described by V.S.
Ramachandran for phantom limb pain following amputation, is a form of motor imagery
in which a mirror is used to process visual feedback about motor performance of the
unaffected body part as it performs various movements. It is primarily used to speed up
and improve motor function after stroke and other neurological disorders.
How Does It Work?
Mirror therapy is based on evidence that observation activates the same motor areas of
the brain as execution. During mirror therapy, clients place their affected arm and hand
inside the mirror box (to block their view of the affected side) and their unaffected hand
and forearm in front of the mirror. See Figure 1.
The client is then directed to perform
a movement with their unaffected
hand and to simultaneously attempt
to copy the movement with their
hidden affected hand. The client
should be looking at the image in the
mirror while attempting to move
the affected hand.
When looking into the mirror, the
client observes the reflection of the
unaffected limb positioned as the
affected limb. This creates the
illusion that both limbs are working
normally. For example, if you put
your left hand behind a mirror and right hand in front, you can trick your brain into
believing that the reflection of your right hand in the mirror is your left. You are now
exercising your left hand in the brain. It is believed that this strong visual cue from the
mirror can therapeutically be used to improve motor performance and the perception of
the affected limb.
Benefits
• Improving motor function
• Reducing pain
• Reducing neglect
• Improving sensation
• Reduce spasticity
Figure 1
1
Saebo Mirror Box Therapy – Product Manual
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