The Evidence
People who suffer with low back pain can find dancing very beneficial. I suffered a back injury in my late teens, resulting in chronic low back pain for years. Although I stayed active, teaching aerobics and dancing, it was belly dance that finally settled the pain. Physiotherapists attending my classes tell me that the moves are similar to those they advise their patients to use. But of course dancing is so much more fun and the other physical and mental health benefits are indisputable.
A briefing for the Cross-Party Group on
Arts and Health
A review of data was carried out by the US National Library of Medicine and their results were published in 2022. Dance for Chronic Pain Conditions: A Systematic Review
Structure of The Spine
The back is made up of a column (the spinal column) of 24 bones (vertebrae) that are stacked on top of each other. This column has 5 names for different parts of the spine:
- Cervical
- Thoracic
- Lumbar
- Sacroiliac joint
- Coccyx
Joints
Running through the middle of the spine is the spinal cord, connecting the brain to the rest of the body. Where the nerve branches off and come out of the spinal column is called a nerve root.
Bones in the back, the vertebra, are connected together by ligaments. In between each vertebra are discs. These are sacks of jelly-like substance. They help connect the spine together, act like shock absorbers, and give your back its flexibility.
Soft Tissues
The back is surrounded by soft tissue, muscles and ligaments. The muscles of the trunk are divided into:
- Deep muscles
- Superficial muscles
Deep muscles
Deep muscles run from one vertebra to the next two or three. Located next to the bone, they work together to keep the alignment of the vertebrae. These deep muscles do not work to give large force in any movement. They function to keep the vertebrae aligned.
Superficial Muscles
Superficial muscles are larger and longer and are next to your skin. They work to give large force and leverage, and side bending.
Superficial Muscles
Superficial muscles are larger and longer and are next to your skin. They work to give large force and leverage, and side bending.
Posture
Good posture is very important, and not just for your back. It is the starting point for creating great dance moves.
Why? Good posture:
- Keeps joints and bones correctly aligned.
- Helps develop a healthy shape of the spine
- Opens your chest and lungs – increases feelings of well-being
- Makes space for major organs to work efficiently for other body functions, for example digestion
Standing Posture
- Place your feet hip width apart, with your weight over the arches of your feet
- Keep your knees “soft” – not locked
- Engage the rhomboids and pull shoulders back and down
- Keep your head straight and central on your shoulders so that your eyes are looking forwards, (imagine string pulling head upwards from the crown)
- Gently push the bottom of your spine towards the floor, without using the buttocks to do this. (imagine a long tail being gently pulled downwards)
- Gently engage your abdominal muscles
Sitting Posture
- Distribute your weight evenly between your hips
- Keep the normal curves of your spine
- Engage the rhomboids and pull your shoulders back and down
- Your head should be straight and central on your shoulders so that your eyes are looking forward, (imagine string pulling head upwards from the crown)
- Bend your knees 90 degrees
- Place your feet flat on the floor, hip width apart
- Gently engage your abdominal muscles
- Don’t sit in the same position for too long (30mins)
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