Motor Imagery as a Supportive Strategy for Caregiving Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Study on Physical and Somatic Outcomes

The Effect of Motor Imagery Training on Functional Status, Body Awareness, Quality of Life, and Anxiety Levels in Mothers of Children With Physical Disabilities

The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of core stabilization exercises applied with motor imagery training on motor imagery skills, functional status, body awareness, dynamic balance, quality of life and anxiety level parameters in mothers with physically disabled children within a biopsychosocial framework and to determine whether motor imagery training given in addition to core stabilization training has an effect on these parameters.

Mothers with special needs children provide physical support to their children in every period of their lives, while meeting their daily care and needs, especially in transfer activities. Staying in the same position for a long time, lifting heavy objects disrupts body mechanics, causes negativities in endurance, flexibility, strength and muscle structure, and reduces the quality of life by increasing anxiety and worry levels. Various applications are needed to cope with these problems and support mothers in this sense. It is known that regular exercise has a positive effect on muscle strength, the body's physiological system, general health and reducing pain. In addition, it has been observed as a result of different studies that it has positive effects on reducing fatigue and increasing the ability to cope with depression and high anxiety levels. In recent years, in addition to classical physiotherapy applications in the mentioned parameters, applications in which cognitive participation is important have begun to be used in physiotherapy. The motor imagery approach is a method created to improve function and increase body awareness and quality of life.The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of motor imagery training on motor imagery skills, functional status, body awareness, dynamic balance, quality of life and anxiety level parameters in mothers of physically disabled children.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The primary caregiver of the disabled child is the mother
• The prone lumbar instability test is (+)
• Not receiving any medical treatment for pain
• Not having any obstacles to exercise
• VAS ≥4 low back pain at baseline

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• History of previous back surgery in the last year
• Having peripheral vascular diseases,radiculopathy, spondylolisthesis, tumor, systemic inflammatory diseases.
• Having cognitive disorders.
• Having central or peripheral neurological disease affecting mobility.
• Having received physical therapy due to back pain in the last 6 months.