Musculoskeletal Pain and Injury in Indian Classical Dancers: A Systematic Review

The majority of current research on dance injuries has been on ballet, leaving a void in recent data on musculoskeletal injuries in Indian classical [IC] dance. The prevalence of injuries among IC dancers remains unclear, stressing the importance of injury epidemiology research for improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and injury burden reduction. Through a thorough examination of published literature, this study sought to critically evaluate existing research on the epidemiology of musculoskeletal pain and injury in IC dancers. Using Google Scholar and PubMed, a systematic evaluation of the online literature published in English was carried out from inception up to December 31, 2021 following PRISMA guidelines. For studies estimating injury prevalence, the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool and the Risk of Bias Tool (RoBT) were used to evaluate the studies' quality. Of 3,917 studies identified, 6 studies, all cross-sectional, of low quality, with a high risk of bias, and featuring young Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancers, were determined to be admissible. Because of the studies' heterogeneity, severe study limitations, and methodological variability, a meta-analysis could not be carried out. The evidence from the current review is severely constrained, lacking generalizability to IC dancers as a whole and Bharatanatyam in particular. Since injury epidemiology is essential to the whole injury-prevention puzzle, there is a need for standardization in future research, particularly with active and prospective injury surveillance, injury assessment, and injury reporting.