Background

Motor imagery is a cognitive process that involves mentally simulating movements without physical execution. It has been studied in the context of foot pain to understand the role of motor cortical reorganization and its impact on motor imagery abilities. However, further research is needed to establish consistent evidence regarding the relationship between motor imagery and foot pain.

Methods

This review analyzed five relevant articles that investigated motor imagery in the context of foot pain. The studies involved participants with various conditions, including leg amputation, chronic leg pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and Achilles tendinopathy. Different methodologies were employed, including motor cortical mapping, foot laterality recognition tasks, EEG recordings, and treatment interventions incorporating motor imagery.

Results

The findings indicated that individuals with leg amputation exhibited functional reorganization in upper limb motor cortical maps, with a breakdown in the inhibitory relationship between foot and hand representations. Participants with chronic leg pain demonstrated slower and less accurate performance on foot laterality recognition tasks compared to healthy controls. Complex regional pain syndrome patients displayed distinct motor imagery strategies and responded differently to first-person and third-person perspectives. EEG studies revealed differences in brain activity during motor imagery tasks under pain-free and pain conditions. Treatment interventions incorporating motor imagery showed promising outcomes in improving functional outcomes and reducing pain levels.

Conclusions

Motor imagery plays a significant role in foot pain conditions, although the evidence is still emerging. The findings suggest that motor imagery abilities may be affected by leg amputation, chronic pain, and complex regional pain syndrome. Further research is needed to establish standardized protocols for assessing motor imagery, identify specific patient populations that may benefit most from motor imagery interventions, and explore long-term effects. Integrating motor imagery into clinical practice has the potential to enhance rehabilitation approaches and improve outcomes in foot pain management.

中文翻译：

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释放运动想象的力量：对其在缓解足部疼痛方面的应用进行全面回顾

背景

运动想象是一种认知过程，涉及在心理上模拟运动，而不需要身体执行。人们在足部疼痛的背景下进行了研究，以了解运动皮质重组的作用及其对运动想象能力的影响。然而，需要进一步的研究来建立关于运动想象和足部疼痛之间关系的一致证据。

方法

这篇综述分析了五篇研究足部疼痛背景下运动想象的相关文章。这些研究涉及患有各种病症的参与者，包括腿部截肢、慢性腿部疼痛、复杂区域疼痛综合征和跟腱病。采用了不同的方法，包括运动皮质映射、足侧性识别任务、脑电图记录和结合运动想象的治疗干预。

结果

研究结果表明，腿部截肢的个体在上肢运动皮质图上表现出功能重组，足部和手部表征之间的抑制关系被破坏。与健康对照组相比，患有慢性腿痛的参与者在足侧识别任务中表现出更慢且不太准确的表现。复杂区域疼痛综合征患者表现出不同的运动想象策略，并对第一人称和第三人称视角的反应不同。脑电图研究揭示了无痛和疼痛条件下运动想象任务期间大脑活动的差异。结合运动想象的治疗干预在改善功能结果和减轻疼痛水平方面显示出有希望的结果。

结论

尽管证据仍在不断涌现，但运动想象在足部疼痛中起着重要作用。研究结果表明，运动想象能力可能会受到腿部截肢、慢性疼痛和复杂区域疼痛综合征的影响。需要进一步的研究来建立评估运动想象的标准化方案，确定可能从运动想象干预中受益最多的特定患者群体，并探索长期影响。将运动想象融入临床实践有可能增强康复方法并改善足部疼痛管理的结果。