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Review
. 2015 Dec 31;7(3):5962.
doi: 10.4081/ni.2015.5962. eCollection 2015 Dec 29.

Motor Imagery and Its Effect on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: An Integrative Review

Nélio Silva de Souza  1 , Ana Carolina Gomes Martins  2 , Victor Hugo do Vale Bastos  3 , Marco Orsini  4 , Marco Antônio A Leite  5 , Silmar Teixeira, Bruna Velasques  6 , Pedro Ribeiro  6 , Juliana Bittencourt  7 , André Palma da Cunha Matta  8 , Pedro Moreira Filho  8
Affiliations
Review

Motor Imagery and Its Effect on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: An Integrative Review

Nélio Silva de Souza et al. Neurol Int. .

Abstract

The motor imagery (MI) has been proposed as a treatment in the complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS-1), since it seems to promote a brain reorganization effect on sensory-motor areas of pain perception. The aim of this paper is to investigate, through an integrative critical review, the influence of MI on the CRPS-1, correlating their evidence to clinical practice. Research in PEDro, Medline, Bireme and Google Scholar databases was conducted. Nine randomized controlled trials (level 2), 1 non-controlled clinical study (level 3), 1 case study (level 4), 1 systematic review (level 1), 2 review articles and 1 comment (level 5) were found. We can conclude that MI has shown effect in reducing pain and functionality that remains after 6 months of treatment. However, the difference between the MI strategies for CRPS-1 is unknown as well as the intensity of mental stress influences the painful response or effect of MI or other peripheral neuropathies.

Keywords: Motor imagery; complex regional pain syndrome; peripheral neuropathic pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

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