EFFICACY OF MOTOR CONTROL IN THE INHIBITION OF PAIN AND THE REDUCTION IN THE ACTIVITY OF THE CERVICAL FLEXOR MUSCLES

D. Góngora García¹, A. Rosillo Almagro¹

Background: Ergonomics and the work environment are some of the causes of cervical pain. Cervical motor control exercises reduce the muscular activity of the superficial muscles.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of motor control exercises in inhibition cervical pain and reduction of the superficial flexor muscles.

Methods: Documentary sources were consulted: Medline, Web of Science, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane Library and Rehabilitation Sports Medicine Source. A qualitative analysis was performed with the Van Tulder and PEDro scales. A quantitative analysis of the methodological variables was made, and the effect size of the results was calculated.

Results: 18 articles met the selection criteria. The methodological quality was medium-high (range 3-8). Interventions using a pressure gauge craniocervical flexion, pain education, and mobility exercises improved cervical pain (p <0.05). Recruitment of the superficial flexor musculature decreased with craniocervical flexion exercises monitored with a pressure gauge (p <0.05). The interventions by means of motor control exercises using a pressure gauge showed a high effect size (d> 0.80).

Conclusion(s): Craniocervical flexion with pressure gauge, pain education and mobility exercises improve cervical pain. Craniocervical flexion exercises with pressure gauge as feedback decrease recruitment of superficial cervical flexor musculature. The craniocervical flexion monitored with a pressure gauge presented a greater magnitude of the results.

Implications: It is noteworthy to denote the relevance and ease regarding logistical or economic resources in the daily clinical practice of the motor control protocols analyzed.

Funding, acknowledgements: To the university school of Real Madrid and the Universidad Europea de Madrid for making it possible.

Keywords: Neck pain, Motor control, Electromyography

Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Institution: Universidad Europea de Madrid

Committee: Investigation committee of Universidad Europea de Madrid

Reason: Because it is a systematic review