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INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF AN EXERCISE PROGRAM ON FOUR MODERN DANCERS ‘ LOW BACK PAIN... [read the french version]
R. Rönkkö
INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF AN EXERCISE PROGRAM ON FOUR MODERN DANCERS ‘ LOW BACK PAIN AND PELVIC ALIGNMENT.
R. Rönkkö
University of Utah – Department of Modern Dance, USA.
Dancers suffer commonly of recurrent or chronic low back pain. Constant alignment errors, such as excessive anterior pelvic tilt, and incorrect technique in conjunction with muscular imbalances drive injuries to happen and cause constant discomfort. However, taking care of the often neglected low grade low back pain and correcting the alignment errors and muscular imbalances is an important step in preventing even more serious injury and enhances the well-being and successfulness of the dancer’s career.
This study was a series of controlled case studies on the effect of a simple and inexpensive exercise program. It investigated the experience of low back pain and assessed the pelvic alignment of four intensively training modern dance students in the University of Utah Department of Modern Dance. The seven-week study involved 18 measurements of each subject’s pelvic alignment, pelvic tilt, from laterally taken photographs and a daily assessments of the pain. Pain was measured as general, overall pain and peak pain, the worst pain every day. Both pain assessments were done on a scale of 1 to 10 with one being “no pain” and 10 “the worst pain you can imagine”. Further personal information was obtained in the form of a daily diary.
The exercise program consisted of strengthening exercises for the abdominal and back extensor muscles, hip flexor stretching, and an exercise, pelvic clock, that was specifically targeted to release tightness and direct attention to the low back region. To better assess the exercise program and its effects, it was taught two subjects at first. They exercised for 6 weeks and the two last for 4 weeks. The subject adjusted the repetitions in the strengthening exercises and the times in the stretches according to their individual needs after initial instructions. However, the sequence of the exercises was determined and taught to the subjects by the researcher.
As result of daily exercising, on average 16 minutes daily, the subjects reported a heightened awareness of the lumbar region. They felt safer in their dance technique classes and rehearsals. The numerical pain values reported by three of the subjects gradually decreased with the progression of the study. The fourth subject reported increasing pain values as the study went on, but at the same time noted that he was feeling better and was more aware of his low back in the diary. The daily recording of pain and the diary revealed a pain pattern that was similar to all 4 of them. The peak pain moments always occurred during dance technique classes or rehearsals, which might suggest that low back is not adequately prepared for the diverse demands of today’s modern dance classes and choreography. The degrees of pelvic tilt, anterior pelvic inclination , seemed to vary daily. For three of the subjects no correlation was found between their pain assessment and the tilt. One subject, however, showed a high correlation between higher pain values and increased anterior pelvic tilt. He was also the only subject whose results were not complicated by accidents or illness.
For the well being of both the student and professional dancers it is important to find inexpensive and simple tools to address their chronic and recurrent problems, such as low back pain. The tools need to be compatible with the daily schedule, yet transferable to training, rehearsing, and performing. This study revealed both quantitative and qualitative information about four individual dancers’ pain patterns and demonstrated that the simple, relatively short and individually adapted exercise program helped to reduce pain and to gain awareness and information of the low back region.
Further information :
Reetta Rönkkö, M. A. Dancing Kinesiology
Department of Modern Dance
University of Utah
1310 East 900 South # 2
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
USA
Tel. +1-801-1581-7327
Reettaronkko@hotmail.com
This is an abstract from the Heslinki Symposium (3-4 june 2001) . All rights reserved by the authors.
R. Rönkkö
University of Utah – Department of Modern Dance, USA.
Dancers suffer commonly of recurrent or chronic low back pain. Constant alignment errors, such as excessive anterior pelvic tilt, and incorrect technique in conjunction with muscular imbalances drive injuries to happen and cause constant discomfort. However, taking care of the often neglected low grade low back pain and correcting the alignment errors and muscular imbalances is an important step in preventing even more serious injury and enhances the well-being and successfulness of the dancer’s career.
This study was a series of controlled case studies on the effect of a simple and inexpensive exercise program. It investigated the experience of low back pain and assessed the pelvic alignment of four intensively training modern dance students in the University of Utah Department of Modern Dance. The seven-week study involved 18 measurements of each subject’s pelvic alignment, pelvic tilt, from laterally taken photographs and a daily assessments of the pain. Pain was measured as general, overall pain and peak pain, the worst pain every day. Both pain assessments were done on a scale of 1 to 10 with one being “no pain” and 10 “the worst pain you can imagine”. Further personal information was obtained in the form of a daily diary.
The exercise program consisted of strengthening exercises for the abdominal and back extensor muscles, hip flexor stretching, and an exercise, pelvic clock, that was specifically targeted to release tightness and direct attention to the low back region. To better assess the exercise program and its effects, it was taught two subjects at first. They exercised for 6 weeks and the two last for 4 weeks. The subject adjusted the repetitions in the strengthening exercises and the times in the stretches according to their individual needs after initial instructions. However, the sequence of the exercises was determined and taught to the subjects by the researcher.
As result of daily exercising, on average 16 minutes daily, the subjects reported a heightened awareness of the lumbar region. They felt safer in their dance technique classes and rehearsals. The numerical pain values reported by three of the subjects gradually decreased with the progression of the study. The fourth subject reported increasing pain values as the study went on, but at the same time noted that he was feeling better and was more aware of his low back in the diary. The daily recording of pain and the diary revealed a pain pattern that was similar to all 4 of them. The peak pain moments always occurred during dance technique classes or rehearsals, which might suggest that low back is not adequately prepared for the diverse demands of today’s modern dance classes and choreography. The degrees of pelvic tilt, anterior pelvic inclination , seemed to vary daily. For three of the subjects no correlation was found between their pain assessment and the tilt. One subject, however, showed a high correlation between higher pain values and increased anterior pelvic tilt. He was also the only subject whose results were not complicated by accidents or illness.
For the well being of both the student and professional dancers it is important to find inexpensive and simple tools to address their chronic and recurrent problems, such as low back pain. The tools need to be compatible with the daily schedule, yet transferable to training, rehearsing, and performing. This study revealed both quantitative and qualitative information about four individual dancers’ pain patterns and demonstrated that the simple, relatively short and individually adapted exercise program helped to reduce pain and to gain awareness and information of the low back region.
Further information :
Reetta Rönkkö, M. A. Dancing Kinesiology
Department of Modern Dance
University of Utah
1310 East 900 South # 2
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
USA
Tel. +1-801-1581-7327
Reettaronkko@hotmail.com
This is an abstract from the Heslinki Symposium (3-4 june 2001) . All rights reserved by the authors.
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