Low back pain and injury in ballet, modern, and hip-hop dancers: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Background: Anecdotally, low back pain is a common complaint for many dancers; a comparison across recent research is needed to support or disprove this theory across genres. Purpose: To determine the prevalence of low back pain and low back injury in ballet, modern, and hip-hop dancers through a systematic literature review. A secondary goal was to identify trends amongst dance genres, level of mastery, gender, and age, if possible. Study Design: Literature review. Methods: PRISMA search strategy terms between November 2017 and March 2018 with an ADA grading evaluation and a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Risk of Bias assessment. Twenty-five ballet articles, 5 modern, and 3 hip-hop met the inclusion criteria. Results: Prevalence of low back pain or injury seems relatively high in ballet dance; little research exists on the prevalence of back pain in hip-hop or modern dancers. Twenty-five of the 33 studies relied on a questionnaire to gather their data. Conclusion: Ballet dancers are at risk for low back pain or injury independent of gender, age or level of mastery; there is not enough evidence to draw any conclusions about modern dancers or hip-hop dancers and their relationship to low back pain/injury currently. Future studies need a higher level of evidence and a reduced risk of bias. What is known about the subject: There are several injury studies on ballet dancers, but they report ‘low back pain’ or ‘injury’ as a footnote to other injuries. Few studies use modern and hip-hop dancers as participants. The research on ballet dancers fluctuates wildly in reported prevalence, and differing reporting methods prevent direct comparison. What this study adds to existing knowledge: This study illuminates the dearth of research, especially those of high-quality and non-ballet participants. This study aims to call attention to this gap and promote vigorous scholarship for related research moving forward.