Effects of Motor Imagery and Action Observation Training on Neck Reposition Sense in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain
Effects of Motor Imagery and Action Observation Training on Neck Reposition Sense in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain
This study evaluates the influence of motor imagery or action observation training on joint position error in patients with chronic neck pain. This variable is a measure of proprioception and cervical motor control. A group of patients will receive an action observation training of neck movements, another will receive a protocol of motor imagery of the same movements and the last group will be a placebo group, through the viewing of a documentary video.
Motor imagery is defined as a dynamic mental process of an action, without its real motor execution. Action observation training consists of watching an action performed by someone else. Both motor imagery and action observation have been shown to produce a neurophysiological activation of the brain areas related to the planning and execution of voluntary movement in a manner that resembles how the action is performed in reality.
Both motor imagery and action observation are interventions that can generate adaptive neuroplastic changes on a cortical level, leading to a decrease in chronic pain. These rehabilitation techniques are used in pain treatment and impaired movement injuries that could be due to a nervous system alteration.
The effectiveness of motor imagery is controversial; several studies have presented unfavorable outcomes from this technique. Some variables, such as the duration of the sessions, the time employed the type of motor task or the number of sessions can influence the outcomes of these studies. Thus, it is necessary to clarify the controversial aspects of motor imagery, which lead us to perform this study.
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