Effect of Mirror Therapy on Arteriovenous Fistula CannulationRelated Pain Severity in Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Hemodialysis patients experience pains induced by cannulation of an arteriovenous (AV) fistula. The effect of mirror therapy on patients’ pain severity has not been investigated in individuals living with hemodialysis. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of mirror therapy on AV fistula cannulationrelated pain severity in hemodialysis patients. Method: This study was conducted on 30 hemodialysis patients admitted to two hospitals in Mashhad, Iran, during 2018. Pain severity was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale for pain. Results: The mean pain scores in the control session (preintervention phase), nonadaptive phase (immediately after looking in the mirror), and adaptive phase (ten minutes after looking in the mirror) were 4.8±1.1, 3.9±1.1, and 2.6±1.22, respectively. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the given sessions (P lt;0.001). Implications for Practice: Mirror therapy could be effective in reducing AV fistula cannulationrelated pain severity in hemodialysis patients.