Brunnstrom Movement Therapy Versus Mirror Therapy on Hand Function in Stroke Hemiplegic Population

Stroke commonly known as Cerebro-Vascular Accident (CVA), is stated as a sudden commencement of neurological discrepancy which is attributable to a pivotal vascular basis. In modest words, it is a "brain attack", which occurs when the brain fails to get adequate blood circulation, as a result, brain cells do not get a sufficient amount of oxygen, and cells start dying ultimately. Brunnstrom movement therapy uses reflexes to develop movement behavior through sensory stimulation, in order to inhibit spasticity and movement retraining to enhance recovery. Mirror therapy (MT) in stroke patients involves performing unimpaired limb movements while observing there reflection of the mirror overlapping the impaired limb, creating a visual illusion of increased movement capacity in the impaired limb.

In previous researches, various conventional and contemporary approaches such as Brunnstrom, and Mirror therapy have been used to rehabilitate the hand after stroke in clinical settings. Previous literature was focus on digital and other conventional methods. However, despite a revolution in the number of therapeutic protocols, evidence of efficacy remains limited. Both BHM and MT have been studied separately to evaluate their respective effectiveness. However, no study has been found comparing the two protocols exclusively for hand motor recovery.