Physiotherapy - Research Publications

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    The Effect of Spinal and Pelvic Posture and Mobility on Back Pain in Young Dancers and Non-Dancers
    McMeeken, J ; Tully, E ; Nattrass, C ; Stillman, B (SAGE Publications, 2002-09-01)
    One-hundred-and-twenty healthy volunteers (ranging in age from 10 to 25 years), completed a questionnaire concerning the type and amount of regular activity and history of low back pain. There were 41 who participated in at least 6 hours of dance per week and 79 non-dancers. Computer-based analysis of videotape records examined sagittal standing posture and thoracolumbar flexion-extension mobility On average, dancers undertook 19 h/wk more regular activity (p = 0.0001), were lighter by 7 kg (p = 0.001), had straighter standing postures (p < 0.001) and greater thoracic and lumbar sagittal excursions (by 23° and 9°, respectively) (p < 0.01). One or more episodes of back pain of at least two days duration was experienced by 24% of all subjects in the past year, and 18% recalled at least one episode of back pain in earlier years. Dancers experienced significantly more back pain in the last year, and in earlier years, compared to non-dancers (37% versus 18% and 24% versus 14%, respectively), but the relative incidence of back pain expressed as hours of activity per incident was less for dancers (1:20 hours) than non-dancers (1:5 hours). The non-dancers who experienced pain had more flexed lumbar spine standing postures (p = 0.01), and a direct correlation between lumbar spine excursion and severity of the worst pain episode over the previous year (p = 0.02).