Manual Therapy, Core Training, and Pilates Method Interventions in Dance Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Dance Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science
• Musculoskeletal Health

Background:

• Dancers experience unique musculoskeletal conditions.
• Manual therapy, core stability training, and Pilates are used in rehabilitation.
• Evidence synthesis is needed to guide practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map and synthesize evidence on manual therapy, core stability, and Pilates for musculoskeletal conditions in adult dancers.
• To identify current rehabilitation practices and evidence gaps.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Systematic search of six databases.
• Eligibility guided by the Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework.

Main Results:

• 16 studies included (RCTs, intervention studies, case reports).
• Interventions focused on chronic ankle instability, low back pain, and post-surgical rehabilitation.
• Limited high-level evidence exists, despite common use of therapies.

Conclusions:

• Integrated rehabilitation (manual therapy + motor control exercises) shows potential for dancer return to performance.
• Current literature relies heavily on observational and case-driven evidence.
• Need for robust clinical trials to develop dance-specific rehabilitation guidelines.