Background
chronic idiopathic NP (secondary aim)., AO, disability, pain
Neck pain (NP) was documented among the worldwide leading causes of years lived with disability as the fourth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years [More recently, interventions targeting the central nervous system instead of the peripheral tissues, such as those requiring mental practice or observation of movements without the actual movement execution have shown promising results across different clinical conditions, including NP. Mental practice interventions include motor imagery, action observation (AO) training, and mirror therapy [AO involves the observation and perception of human movement based on the mirror neuron system [This study aims to assess the immediate effect of a single session of observing neck movements (AO) on NP intensity (primary aim), fear of movement, fear-avoidance beliefs, neck muscles’ strength, pressure pain threshold, and tactile acuity when compared to observing a natural landscape in individuals with chronic idiopathic NP (secondary aim). We hypothesized that AO would have a larger effect on decreasing pain intensity than observing a natural landscape.