To conduct a visual analysis of domestic and international research on kinesiophobia to explore recent advancements and trending topics within the field and to provide references for future research in China.

Literature published from 2015 to 2022 retrieved from Chinese databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, and VIP, and those published from 2009 to 2022 from the Web of Science, was analyzed using CiteSpace software. This analysis summarized and examined the number of publications, authors, collaborating institutions, and keywords, etc.

Both domestic and international publications on kinesiophobia showed an increasing trend in recent years, with international publications consistently outnumbering domestic ones. The most prolific authors were Cai Libai and Vlaeyen, and the leading institutions were the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Maastricht University. Domestic research primarily involved intra-team collaborations with less inter-institutional cooperation, whereas international collaborations were more extensive. Key research topics identified through keyword analysis included kinesiophobia, pain, and movement, with frontiers in risk factors, clinical outcomes, and psychological health.

There is a noticeable gap between domestic and international research on kinesiophobia. China should further focus on the emerging hotspots and trends in this field to enhance the prevention and intervention strategies for kinesiophobia research.

Bibliometrics; Kinesiophobia; Citespace; Visualization; Hotspot analysis