Scoping Review of Dance for Adults With Fibromyalgia: What Do We Know About It?

A synthesis of the characteristics of dance interventions engaging adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities: a scoping review

PURPOSE

Dance can encourage physical activity and promote physical, cognitive, and social development for adults who have neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD). Dance is defined as a form of expression that may be structured, exploratory, and/or cultural. Current literature supports the benefits of participation in dance for persons with NDD, however less is known about what characteristics support participation in dance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A scoping review was conducted to synthesize the characteristics of dance interventions, teaching strategies, and outcome measures used to assess the efficacy of dance interventions. Searches were conducted across six databases and the results were screened according to: i) adults ≥18yrs of age with a diagnosed NDD, and ii) the program incorporated activities that fall within our definition of dance.

RESULTS

A range of dance forms and NDDs were represented across the fourteen studies reviewed. Few provided explicit details of the dance interventions, nor how instruction was adapted. All studies that measured fitness, mobility, balance, posture, and functional activity showed significant improvement. Studies that measured psychosocial and well-being focused on autistic characteristics and showed mixed results.

CONCLUSIONS

Details of interventions, instructions, measures of movement performance, and the relationship between outcomes and the interventions require further development and research.

Effects of Dance on Pain in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review on the effectiveness of dance-based programs in patients with fibromyalgia, as well as calculate the overall effect size of the improvements, through a meta-analysis.

METHODS

The Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), PubMed, TRIP, and Web of Science (WOS) were selected to identify the articles included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of seven articles fulfilled all inclusion and exclusion criteria. PRISMA guidelines were followed in the data extraction process. The level of evidence was established following guidelines from the Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement (CBO).

RESULTS

The studies were all randomized controlled trials, but not double-blind. Duration of dance programs ranged from 12 to 24 weeks. Sessions lasted between 60 and 120 minutes and were performed 1-2 times per week. The overall effect size for pain was -1.64 with a 95% CI from -2.69 to -0.59 which can be interpreted as large. In addition, significant improvements were observed in quality of life, depression, impact of the disease, anxiety, and physical function.

CONCLUSION

Dance-based intervention programs can be an effective intervention for people suffering from fibromyalgia, leading to a significant reduction of the level of pain with an effect size that can be considered as large. However, findings and conclusions from this meta-analysis must be taken with caution due to the small number of articles and the large heterogeneity.