If you have thumb pain or rhizarthrosis, which is a painful wearing away of the joint at the base of your thumb, you may have heard about mental practice. Mental practice means imagining movement without actually moving. It is sometimes used in rehabilitation.
But does it work the same way for everyone?
A recent study looked at how different people imagine hand movements. The findings show that your age and your skill level can change the way your brain does this task. This matters because the way you imagine movement may affect whether mental practice actually helps you heal.
Key Findings at a Glance
- When people looked at pictures of palms, everyone used motor imagery, which means they imagined their own hand moving.
- When people looked at pictures of the back of the hand, younger people used visual imagery, which means they just rotated the picture in their mind.
- Older people with strong skills used visual imagery for the back of the hand, but older people with weaker skills used motor imagery.
- The way you imagine movement changes with age and ability, which could affect how well mental practice helps with rehabilitation.
In this article:
- What is mental imagery and why does it matter?
- What are the two ways your brain can imagine movement?
- What did the study find?
- Why does this matter for your thumb?
- Frequently asked questions
- What this means for you
- Disclaimer
- Study citation
What is mental imagery and why does it matter?
Mental imagery is when you picture something in your mind. For example, you might close your eyes and imagine holding a ball or turning a doorknob.
Doctors and therapists sometimes ask people with thumb pain to practice mental imagery. The idea is that imagining movement may help your brain and muscles work together better. This is called mental practice.
But here is where it gets interesting. Not everyone imagines movement in the same way. And the way you imagine it may change how much it helps.
What are the two ways your brain can imagine movement?
According to this study, there are two main ways people imagine hand movements.
Motor imagery
Motor imagery means you imagine your own hand moving. You mentally simulate the action as if you were actually doing it. This uses the same parts of your brain that control real movement.
Research shows that motor imagery creates a special pattern. When you imagine moving your hand so the fingertips point toward the middle of your body, you do it faster. This is because that motion is easier for your real hand to do. Scientists call this the medial-lateral effect.
Visual imagery
Visual imagery means you look at the picture and just rotate it in your mind. You do not imagine it is your own hand. You treat it like rotating any object, such as a chair or a cup.
Visual imagery does not show the medial-lateral effect. Your speed stays the same no matter which direction the fingers point.
You may be wondering why this matters. The reason is that mental practice is thought to help only when you use motor imagery. If you are using visual imagery, you are not activating the brain areas that control movement. So the rehabilitation benefit may be smaller or even absent.
What did the study find?
The researchers tested people of different ages. They showed them pictures of hands. Some pictures showed the palm of the hand. Other pictures showed the back of the hand. People had to say whether each picture was a left hand or a right hand.
The researchers measured how long it took people to answer. They also looked at the pattern of answers to figure out which strategy each person was using.
When people saw pictures of palms
According to this study, when people looked at pictures of the palm, everyone used motor imagery. It did not matter how old they were. It did not matter how fast or slow they were at the task. Everyone imagined their own hand moving.
When people saw pictures of the back of the hand
This is where things changed. When people looked at pictures of the back of the hand, the strategy depended on age and ability.
Let us look closer.
Young people used visual imagery. They just rotated the picture in their mind. This was true whether they were fast or slow at the task.
Middle aged and older people were different. If they were fast and good at the task, they used visual imagery. But if they were slower and had lower performance, they used motor imagery.
| Age Group | Performance Level | Strategy for Back of Hand |
|---|---|---|
| Young | High or Low | Visual Imagery |
| Middle Aged and Elderly | High | Visual Imagery |
| Middle Aged and Elderly | Low | Motor Imagery |
Why does this matter for your thumb?
If you have thumb pain or rhizarthrosis, your doctor or therapist might suggest mental practice. They might ask you to imagine moving your thumb or hand.
This study suggests that the benefit you get may depend on how you naturally imagine movement. If you are older and have strong mental rotation skills, you might naturally use visual imagery. This means you are not really practicing the movement in your brain. You are just rotating a picture.
Research shows that motor imagery is what helps with rehabilitation. So it may be important for therapists to check which strategy you are using. They might need to give you specific instructions or use certain pictures to encourage motor imagery.
The good news is that when people looked at pictures of palms, everyone used motor imagery. So showing palm pictures might be a simple way to encourage the right kind of mental practice.
About this site
This website simplifies medical science for people with thumb pain and rhizarthrosis. We read published scientific articles and explain them in plain language. Everything we share comes from real research. We invite you to explore more articles to learn about your condition and the science behind treatment options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does mental imagery really help with thumb pain?
According to research, mental imagery may help with rehabilitation, but the benefit is thought to come mainly from motor imagery. Motor imagery is when you imagine your own hand moving, not just rotating a picture in your mind. This study shows that not everyone uses motor imagery naturally, which may affect how much mental practice helps.
What is the difference between motor imagery and visual imagery?
Motor imagery is when you imagine your own body moving. You mentally simulate the action. Visual imagery is when you just rotate a picture in your mind without imagining it as your own body. Motor imagery activates brain areas that control movement, while visual imagery does not.
Does age change how I imagine movement?
Yes. This study found that younger people tend to use visual imagery when looking at the back of the hand. Older people with strong skills also use visual imagery, but older people with lower performance tend to use motor imagery. Age and ability both play a role.
Should I ask my therapist about mental practice?
If your therapist recommends mental practice for thumb pain, you can ask which type of imagery you should use. The study suggests that pictures of the palm may be more likely to encourage motor imagery, which is thought to be more helpful for rehabilitation.
What this means for you
If you are working on rehabilitation for thumb pain or rhizarthrosis, mental practice might be part of your treatment. This study shows that the way you imagine movement matters.
Your age and your natural ability can change the strategy your brain uses. If you are older and have strong skills, you might naturally use visual imagery, which may not help as much.
Talk with your therapist about how to do mental practice correctly. Ask about using pictures of the palm, since everyone seems to use motor imagery for those. And remember that mental practice is just one tool. It works best when combined with other treatments your doctor recommends.
You are taking an active role in your healing by learning about these details. That is a positive step.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or therapist before starting any new treatment or exercise program. Your healthcare provider can give you guidance based on your specific situation.
Study Citation
This article is based on research by Nagashima, Izumi; Takeda, Kotaro; Harada, Yusuke; Mochizuki, Hideki; Shimoda, Nobuaki, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience in 2021.
You can read the full study here:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.615584