Adaptation of motor control to musculoskeletal pain: Theories for the sensorimotor interactions involved

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are reports in the literature showing that the pain alters motor control, whether in static or dynamic conditions. VIEW OF THE PAST: Over the past decades theories have been proposed on how and in what conditions the pain affects motor control. To date, changes in movement control have been identified at both peripheral and central levels, which potentially leads to the emergence of compensatory lesions in the medium and long term. CURRENT STATE: The current state of the art on the understanding of how pain alters movement control has enabled the emergence of preventive exercise protocols and treatment of movement disorders generated by the presence of pain. FUTURE PERSPECTIVE: The application of new data acquisition and analysis technologies will allow the development of effective exercise protocols for pain management.