Mental practice in isolation improves cervical joint position sense in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized single-blind placebo trial

PeerJ

article

Ferran Cuenca-Martínez¹  Roy La Touche¹  Jose Vicente León-Hernández¹  Luis Suso-Martí² 

[1] Departamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid;Motion in Brains Research Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Sciences of the Movement ,(INCIMOV), Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid;Instituto de Dolor Craneofacial y Neuromusculoesquelético;Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario La Paz;Department of Physiotherapy, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities

关键词: Action observation;    Motor imagery;    Joint position sense;    Chronic neck pain;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.7681

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

ObjectiveThe main objective of this trial was to assess whether action observation (AO) training and motor imagery (MI) produced changes in the cervical joint position sense (CJPS) both at the end of the intervention and 10 min postintervention compared with a placebo intervention in patients with nonspecific chronic neck pain (NSCNP).MethodsA single-blind placebo clinical trial was designed. A total of 30 patients with NSCNP were randomly assigned to the AO group, MI group or placebo observation (PO) group. CJPS in flexion, extension and rotation movements in both planes were the main variables.ResultsThe results obtained in the vertical plane showed that the AO group obtained greater improvements than the PO group in the CJPS in terms of cervical extension movement both at the end of the intervention and 10 min postintervention (p = .001, d = 1.81 and p = .004, d = 1.74, respectively), and also in cervical flexion movement, although only at 10 min after the intervention (p = .035, d = 0.72). In addition, the AO group obtained greater improvements than the MI group in the CJPS only at the end of the intervention in cervical extension movement (p = .041, d = 1.17). Regarding the left rotation cervical movement, both the MI and AO groups were superior to the PO group in both planes at the end of the intervention (p < .05, d 0.80).ConclusionsAlthough both AO and MI could be a useful strategy for CJPS improvement, the AO group showed the strongest results. The therapeutic potential of the application of mental practice in a clinical context in the early stages of rehabilitation of NSCNP should be considered.

【 授权许可】

CC BY