• Marta Ríos-León, Álvaro Cuñado-González, Silvia Domínguez-Fernández, and Patricia Martín-Casas.
• Sensorimotor Function Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos (SESCAM), Toledo, Spain.
• Pain Pract. 2024 Jun 1; 24 (5): 760771760-771.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the effects of motor imagery (MI) on pain intensity and disability in individuals with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).MethodsA systematic search was conducted in various electronic databases to identify all relevant studies: PubMed, CINAHL, WOS, PEDro, CENTRAL, and Scopus. Randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of MI in individuals with CRPS were included. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, the methodological quality was evaluated using PEDro scale, and the level of evidence was reported according to the GRADE. Between-groups standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated.ResultsSix studies were included. The meta-analysis found moderate-quality evidence that MI improves pain intensity and related disability as immediate (pain: SMD -1.07, 95% CI: -1.53 to -0.60; disability: SMD 1.05, 95% CI: 0.59 to 1.51), short-term (pain: SMD -1.28, 95% CI: -2.14 to -0.42; disability: SMD 1.37; 95% CI: 0.16 to 2.58), and long-term effects (pain: SMD -1.18; 95% CI: -1.89 to -0.46; disability: SMD 1.18; 95% CI: 0.46 to 1.89), as compared with a comparison group. The risk of bias of the trials was relatively low, but the imprecision of the results downgraded the level of evidence.ConclusionsModerate-quality evidence suggests a positive effect of MI for improving pain intensity and disability immediately after and at short-term in individuals with CRPS.© 2024 World Institute of Pain.

10 keywords...

hide…