Effectiveness of motor imagery training in women with chronic neck pain: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial
Physiotherapy theory and practice, cilt.42, sa.6, ss.782-802, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 42 Sayı: 6
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/09593985.2025.2599423
- Dergi Adı: Physiotherapy theory and practice
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.782-802
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Chronic pain, endurance, exercise, imagery, motor control, neck
- Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
BACKGROUND: Motor imagery training (MIT), a cognitive technique that involves mentally simulating movement, addresses the maladaptive neuroplastic changes associated with chronic pain. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the effects of motor control exercises (MCE) combined with MIT on pain, pain-related beliefs, functional status, and neck awareness in women with chronic neck pain (CNP). METHODS: In this single-blind, randomized controlled trial, forty female participants with moderate CNP were allocated into two groups using stratified randomization: an experimental group (MCE, 30 min + MIT, 20 min; n = 20) and a control group (MCE, 30 min; n = 20). The researchers adapted the MIT procedure utilized in this study. Participants underwent training twice a week for eight weeks, with assessments conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a 12-week follow-up. Outcome measures included pain intensity, pain beliefs, muscle strength, endurance, functional status, neck awareness, and motor imagery ability. RESULTS: Both the experimental (mean age 51.50 ± 9.31 years) and control (mean age 55.00 ± 11.64 years) groups exhibited significant improvements in pain, pain-related beliefs, functional status, and neck awareness scores post-treatment (p < .05), and these improvements were maintained during the follow-up period. Furthermore, the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements, with moderate-to-high effect sizes, in pain behavior (p = .01, η2 = 0.08), functional status (p < .05, η2 > 0.06), and neck awareness (p = .03, η2 = 0.09) compared to the control group (p < .05, η2 > 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of MIT and MCE was more effective than MCE alone in improving pain-related parameters, functional status, and neck awareness in women with CNP. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT05999565.