Musculoskeletal disorders are very common in clinics,with patients presenting with symptoms such as pain and limited movement.Conventional X-ray,CT,ultrasound,and magnetic resonance imaging can be used to assess the extent of local tissues damage.Recent studies have shown that long-term pain and dysfunction in patients with musculoskeletal disorders often lead to remodeling of central nervous system.Functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a non-invasive imaging modality that utilizes near-infrared light to probe brain performance,is a relatively new functional neuroimaging imaging modality and its application in musculoskeletal disorders is being increasingly studied.This article summarizes the application status and research progress of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in different musculoskeletal disorders.