The Effect of Vibration Therapy and Mirror Therapy on Upper Limb Function in Patients With Stroke

Due to lack of evidence about the difference between the effects of Vibration Therapy and Mirror Therapy on stroke patients, this study aims at comparing the two, in the context of hemiparesis, to help patients improve hand motor functioning and gain occupational recovery. This study applies a two-arm parallel group randomized trial with 36 participants aged 30-65, who had sub-acute stroke 6 months before the study recruitment, and upper limb function deficits of Brunnstrom stage ≥ 3, the spasticity of affected upper extremity score ≤ 2 on the modified Ashworth scale. The participants are outpatients from Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia, and the intervention lasts 4 weeks, with sessions of 35-45 minutes, 3 days per week including the standard conventional therapy. The outcome measurements include Fugl-Meyer Assessment for motor assessment, A Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT) objective standardized assessment for activities of daily living (ADLs) and a 30-item Arabic and validated version of Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) for the upper extremities.