A controlled pilot study of the utility of mirror visual feedback in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome (type 1)

作者：Candy McCabe · 发表于：British journal of rheumatology · 年份：2002 · DOI：10.1093/rheumatology/keg041 · 被引用次数：508 · 研究领域：Pain Management and Treatment、Pain Mechanisms and Treatments、Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies

BACKGROUND: We assessed mirror visual feedback (MVF) to test the hypothesis that incongruence between motor output and sensory input produces complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) (type 1) pain. METHODS: Eight subjects (disease duration > or =3 weeks to < or =3 yr) were studied over 6 weeks with assessments including two controls (no device and viewing a non-reflective surface) and the intervention (MVF). Pain severity and vasomotor changes were recorded. RESULTS: The control stages had no analgesic effect. MVF in early CRPS (< or =8 weeks) had an immediate analgesic effect and in intermediate disease (< or =1 yr) led to a reduction in stiffness. At 6 weeks, normalization of function and thermal differences had occurred (early and intermediate disease). No change was found in chronic CRPS. CONCLUSIONS: In early CRPS (type 1), visual input from a moving, unaffected limb re-establishes the pain-free relationship between sensory feedback and motor execution. Trophic changes and a less plastic neural pathway preclude this in chronic disease.