Effectiveness of Mirror Therapy to Improve Upper Extremity Motor Function in Stroke Patients at Selected Hospitals of Guwahati, Assam

Background: Stroke is becoming an important cause of premature death and disability in low income and middle-income countries like India.1 According to Guwahati Neurological Research Centre study (2018) shows that 54, 890 persons are affected by stroke every year in Assam and more than a Lakh in the Northeast.2 Mirror therapy is relatively new therapeutic intervention that focuses on moving the unimpaired limb.3 Aim: To assess the effectiveness of mirror therapy to improve upper extremity motor function in stroke patients. Methods: Quasi experimental (Non randomized control group design) was used to select sample 30 experimental and 30 control group by convenient sampling technique at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam. The experimental group received mirror therapy for 25 minutes per day for continuously 7 days. Control group received routine care without mirror therapy. To evaluate the upper extremity motor function, Fugl Meyer Assessment tool was used. Assessment was performed twice, on first day before intervention and on 8th day after intervention. Result: Results revealed that mean pre-intervention score was 29.33?15.82 and in post-intervention mean score was 38.97?20.07 with mean difference was 9.63. The effectiveness of mirror therapy was tested using paired t test with obtained t value is (t=8.165) was statistically significant at pless than0.05 level. Conclusion: The study concludes that there was significant difference in post intervention score of mirror therapy on upper extremity motor function in stroke patients among experimental and control group.