Dance for Low Back Pain

Putting the fun into exercise for pain management

It’s well known that exercise is useful for managing low back pain. However for many patients, especially older adults, keeping up activities based on basic models of movement can be challenging.

The Dance for Low Back Pain project started with the theory that incorporating meaningful group activities with fun could make a big difference. We explored how a prescribed exercise programme through dance might be helpful for older adults reporting low back pain.

Combining the expertise of dance specialists, chiropractic and physiotherapy, the team created a collaborative model of movement and functional activity that was designed to aid with the complexity of long-term low back pain. Utilising imagery, simple movements and dance-based interventions that cater for loss of balance and confidence, the programme looked to measure effective change.

Research Goals

The project aims to review a number of outcome measures after 6 weeks of intervention, including pain, function, psychological and lifestyle changes. Using a range of validated patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), the study hopes to see beneficial outcomes supporting a different approach to exercise for low back pain management.

Team and collaborators

The project team of students from Health Sciences University (HSU) is led by Dr Neil Langridge, Director of Clinical & Rehabilitation Services. They worked in collaboration with Pavilion Dance South West and Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust.

Findings / progress

The intervention took place earlier in 2025 and the data is being reviewed at present. However, qualitative feedback already seen has highly positive.