Abstract
Belly Dance, also known as Oriental Dance, is growing in popularity around the globe. The dance style is practiced by women who perceive Belly Dance to be a new, fun, method to exercise and health promotion. The techniques in Belly Dance are mainly torso-driven, largely involving the spine and pelvis and its associated musculoskeletal anatomy to execute the refined movements of the dance style. Regardless of the dance genre, recurring movements of the spine, such as flexion, extension, and rotation are unavoidable components of a dancer’s vocabulary. These movements have been identified as movements that have the potential to contribute to the progression of low back pain and injury. Due to the unique movement demands of dance, dancers are more exposed to a higher degree of musculoskeletal injury and pain, of which a significant proportion is attributed to lower back injury and pain (Swain et al., 2019). Since a large body of information on this dance population is unscientific and based on hearsay (Milner et al., 2019), the need for research-based data on Belly Dancers and their response to a spinal stretching routine and its effects on flexibility and subsequently reduction in low back pain became evident. This warranted the need to assess the spinal flexibility of this dance population, as an improved mobility has the potential to improve technique execution and dance performance (Castrillon et al., 2017). While it is unknown as to whether low back pain is a symptom of Belly Dance (and incorrect technique execution), or if it presented as a pathology prior to the commencement of an individual taking up the dance sport, Belly Dance also holds the potential of decreasing low back pain in sufferers (Castrillon et al., 2017). The spine comprises part of the human axial skeleton and produces movement in different anatomical planes. Four of the movements will form the basis of this intervention study, namely 1) spinal flexion, 2) spinal extension, 3) spinal rotation, and 4) spinal lateral flexion. A total of 76 participants took part in the study who were further divided into three groups: the static stretch group (SSG), the dynamic stretch group (DSG), and the control group (CG). Each stretch group received a stretch routine which was to be completed three days per week for twelve weeks. The static stretch routine comprised of seven stretches which were to be held for 30 seconds each (and on each side, where applicable) to a point of tightness and or mild discomfort (ACSM, 2013). Similarly, the dynamic stretch routine consisted of the same or similar 7 stretches that were to be performed actively. They were to be performed twice (Ishak et al., 2019) with 10 repetitions on each side (Yamaguchi & Ishii, 2005) also to a point of slight discomfort (ACSM, 2013). While the stretch routine was not supervised weekly by the researcher, an introductory exhibition class was held for all the students at their respective
iv
classes demonstrating the correct form and execution of each stretch. The stretch routine was designed by the researcher to incorporate a combination of stretches that focus on the different areas and muscles of the spinal coloumn and torso. Data analysis was completed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and comprised of descriptive statistics, tests of normality, nonparametric testing, and post hoc tests. Results indicated an improvement in spinal flexibility in the SSG and DSG in the different spinal movements, and an unchanged spinal flexibility in the control group. Data collected in this study would not only decrease low back pain and improve technique and the overall aesthetic of a performance but provide a better understanding of the dance population and their specific requirements for an effective prehabilitation and rehabilitation experience with healthcare professionals, such as Biokineticists.
Keywords: Belly Dance, spinal flexibility, stretches, low back pain, biokineticS