Introduction: Stroke is a neurological disorder that leads to motor and sensory impairments of the lower extremity and limitations of various activities of daily living. In recent years, mirror therapy has been used as a complementary therapeutic method to help improve some of the body functions and functioning of stroke patients. Purpose: To review and analyze the results of randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of mirror therapy for the lower extremity in stroke patients. Methods: PubMED, PEDro and CINAHL databases were used for the literature search. Only randomized controlled trials published in English before March 2022 were reviewed. Results: The literature review included seven studies published between 2007 and 2018 that had PEDro scores between 4 and 7. A total of 212 stroke patients were included in the studies. In all studies, mirror therapy was compared with sham mirror therapy or with the same therapy without a mirror. The results of one study show that mirror therapy for the lower extremity is effective in improving single stance duration on the affected side during gait while another study proved its effectiveness in improving functional independence. Results of the studies on the effectiveness of mirror therapy in improving ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, gait velocity, step and stride length, lower extremity motor functions and gait ability were inconsistent. The therapy was not effective in improving plantar flexor muscle tone, cadence, step width, stance and swing phase duration and balance. Conclusion: Mirror therapy for the lower extremity may be effective in improving ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, lower extremity motor functions, some of the temporal and spatial gait characteristics, gait ability and functional independence of stroke patients, but it should be started in the acute or subacute phase as a complementary therapy to standard physiotherapy at least four weeks, five times a week for 15 to 30 minutes. Further studies are needed on the effectiveness of mirror therapy for the lower extremity in improving activities and participation as well as its long-term effectiveness in all phases after stroke.
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