Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud

Objective. The 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). Methods. A 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. Results. The results obtained in the vertical plane showed that the AO group obtained greater impr ovements 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). Conclusions. Although 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.

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 cervicalregion, and remotely. A single-blind, placebo clinical trial was designed. A total of 30 patients withchronic 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 werethe 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 betweenthe preintervention and first postintervention assessment. Significant differences were found inthe 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 betweenthe preintervention and average intervention measurements. AO and MI induce immediate painmodulation in the cervical region and AO also induces remote hypoalgesia. OA appears to lead togreater pain modulation as well as a greater heart rate response, however, both should be clinicallyconsidered in patients with CNP.