Low Back Pain Perceptions and Coping Strategies in Pre-Professional Dancers: A Qualitative Study.

Area of Science:

• Dance science
• Pain perception
• Qualitative research

Background:

• Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent issue affecting pre-professional dancers' careers.
• Pre-professional dancers' unique pain perceptions and coping mechanisms for LBP remain understudied.
• Understanding the biopsychosocial aspects of LBP in dancers is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore pre-professional dancers' perceptions of low back pain (LBP).
• To investigate the coping strategies employed by pre-professional dancers experiencing LBP.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 18 pre-professional dancers from Belgium.
• In-depth online video interviews conducted using a topic list.
• Thematic analysis of interview transcripts.

Main Results:

• Dancers' perceptions of LBP fell into two themes: "it's all about the body" and "it's all about the psychosocial and contextual factors."
• Coping strategies were categorized as "active" (e.g., stretching) and "passive" (e.g., massage, heating cream).
• Stretching and passive strategies were the most frequently reported coping mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Dancers predominantly attributed LBP to biomedical factors, overlooking its biopsychosocial dimensions.
• Management plans should integrate the biopsychosocial origin of LBP, moving beyond single-cause diagnoses.
• A holistic approach is needed to address LBP in pre-professional dancers effectively.