After a stroke, it may be difficult to get back to doing some of the things that you were able to do before. One of the many therapies that can assist with that is Mirror Box Therapy. In our blog post, we discuss Mirror Box Therapy and how it can help you continue to Live Your Best Life.
What is Mirror Box Therapy?
Mirror Box Therapy harnesses neuron mirroring to activate neurons in the affected area of the brain and create new neural connections to eventually increase functional movement. In other words, it ‘tricks’ the brain into mimicking functional movements in areas that were affected due to a stroke.
Mirror box therapy can be utilized in conjunction with other therapies to help stroke patients retrain their brain, regain function and improve their overall quality of life. The brain continues to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.
How Does Mirror Box Therapy Work?
- A mirror is placed in front of a patient to separate left and right side of upper extremities. Patient’s arm/hand of non impaired side is placed beside the mirror.
- The patient watches movement of the non impaired arm/hand in the mirror. The reflection of movement of the non impaired arm/hand tricks the brain into believing the impaired arm/hand is doing the same movement.
- This activates mirror neurons in the premotor cortex of the brain by visual feedback. In other words, the mirror tricks the mind and the weak arm/hand into working better.
Studies have shown that patients who have used Mirror Box Therapy show an improvement in motor function and in the rewiring of the brain.
Source: https://www.saebo.com/saebo-mirror-box/
After a stroke it is important to remember the 10 Important Principles of Neuroplasticity
- Use It or Lose It: Not moving = No progress
- Use It and Improve It: With use, things can improve
- Specificity: Working on activities that matter to you and are difficult for you are important
- Repetition Matters: The number of times you do an activity matters – including working on these things outside of therapy
- Intensity Matters: Hard work pays off – it should not be easy
- Time Matters: Get to work right away
- Salience Matters: Your attitude towards the process and goals will help you see better results
- Age Matters: Progress can be made at any age but the older you are, the more you have to work
- Transference: Working on and learning one activity can lead to learning other activities easier
- Interference: Working on and learning an activity incorrectly or by compensation can make learning to do it correctly even harder
Source: SeniorsFlourish.com
If you or a loved on is in need of physical, occupational, speech, please give us a call at 586-323-2957 to schedule your FREE 30 minute screening.
