Motor Imagery and Action Observation of Specific Neck Therapeutic Exercises Induced Hypoalgesia in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Single-Blind Placebo Trial

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explore the pain modulation effects of motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) of specific neck therapeutic exercises both locally, in the cervical region, and remotely. A single-blind, placebo clinical trial was designed. A total of 30 patients with chronic neck pain (CNP) were randomly assigned to an AO group, MI group, or placebo observation (PO) group. Pain pressure thresholds (PPTs) of C2/C3, trapezius muscles, and epicondyle were the main outcome variables. Secondary outcomes included heart rate measurement. Statistically significant differences were observed in PPTs of the cervical region in the AO and MI groups between the preintervention and first postintervention assessment. Significant differences were found in the AO group in the epicondyle between the preintervention, first and second post-intervention assessments. Regarding heart rate response, differences were found in the AO and MI groups between the preintervention and average intervention measurements. AO and MI induce immediate pain modulation in the cervical region and AO also induces remote hypoalgesia. OA appears to lead to greater pain modulation as well as a greater heart rate response, however, both should be clinically considered in patients with CNP.

The Vividness of Motor Imagery Is Correlated With Corticospinal Excitability During Combined Motor Imagery and Action Observation

“…The VAS has been widely used for subjective assessment of pain (Bijur et al, 2001 ; Suso-Martí et al, 2019 ) where patients mark the degree of pain on a 100-mm horizontal line. Recently, the VAS has been used for assessing the vividness of MI (Mateo et al, 2018 ).…”

Visual Attention and Motion Visibility Modulate Motor Resonance during Observation of Human Walking in Different Manners

“…The visual analog scale (VAS) score has been widely utilized for the subjective assessment of the degree of pain [ 35 , 36 ] and vividness of motor imagery [ 37 ]. In the current study, the VAS score was used to clarify the individual degree of attention immediately after each condition of gait observation.…”

Der Effekt von Action Observation Therapy auf die Extension nach einer vorderen Kreuzbandplastik: eine randomisierte kontrollierte Pilotstudie

“…Der Bewegungsausschlag des Kniegelenks hatte sich in der Interventionsgruppe mit einer hohen Effektstärke (d = 0,8) vermehrt verbessert. "Motor Imagery" besteht aus der Vorstellung einer Aktion, ohne deren motorische Durchführung [16] [20]. Genauso wie bei der AOT führt es zu einer Erhöhung der kortikospinalen Erregbarkeit und zu einer kortikalen Reorganisation [30].…”

“…Suso-Martí et al zeigten z. B. eine direkte Veränderung der Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) der Zervikalregion nach einer AOT von speziellen Nackenübungen [16].…”

“…Action Observation Therapy (AOT) ist eine dieser neurokognitiven Behandlungsarten [16]. Bei dieser Methode wird eine Bewegung oder eine Handlung, die von einem oder einer Dritten durchgeführt wird, direkt oder über ein Video beobachtet [17].…”