Mirror Therapy With Functional Tasks for Stroke Recovery

This trial is testing a treatment called task-based mirror therapy for people who have had a stroke and developed shoulder-hand syndrome—a painful condition affecting the arm and hand. In mirror therapy, you use a mirror to watch your unaffected arm while moving it, creating the illusion that your affected arm is moving normally. This trial will compare this approach, combined with meaningful everyday tasks, to standard exercise therapy to see which works better at reducing pain, swelling, and restoring arm function.

After a stroke, many people develop severe arm and hand pain with swelling and weakness—a condition called shoulder-hand syndrome that can be difficult to treat. While mirror therapy has shown promise, earlier studies found that simple repetitive movements became boring and less effective over time. This trial tests whether adding meaningful functional tasks (like picking up objects or performing real-world activities) makes the treatment more engaging and more effective.