Prevalence of pole dance injuries from a global online survey

Pole dancing is a physically demanding sport which combines acrobatics and aerial stunts which could potentially lead to be severely debilitating injuries. However, there is a paucity of medical research data on the injuries that can be sustained. The objective of this study aimed to determine the prevalence of pole injuries, the severity of injuries that can be sustained from this activity, and to help to determine safety protocols. The results will also aid physiotherapists in prescribing exercises when treating pole dancers.

Cross sectional data was collected from an online web-based survey via social media platforms over 2 weeks in March in 2019.

The most commonly reported injuries were shoulder related (54.5%) injuries, wrist (34.2%) and back (24.7%) injuries. 75.5% of injuries were acutely sustained. Pole dancers who were 40 and above were 3.7 times more likely (95% CI: 1.14 to 11.76, P=0.030) to need more than 3 months to recover from their pole injuries than those who were aged from 19 to 29 years. Participants with 3 to 6 years of pole sport experience were at 3.9 times (95% CI: 1.24, 12.39, P=0.020) higher risk for moderate/severe injuries, than those who had less experience.

Our study shows that the most common injuries are sustained in the shoulder and wrist. We also found a relation with age and experience. More studies on this sport is needed to create injury prevention programs and safety protocols.