Taking care of ballet dancers' lower back.

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) accounts for nearly a third of musculoskeletal disorders in ballet dancers. LBP has a significant short- and long-term impact on dancers' performance, career, income, identity and overall health. However, the literature provides little specific guidance for the prevention and management of low back pain in ballet dancers. Against this background, this review presents those considerations and highlights gaps in the literature that warrant future research.

Method: We examined 15 bibliographical databases from February to June 2022.

Results and discussion: Recommendations for prevention and treatment formulated in the current literature omit elements of key importance for classical dancers and do little to distinguish the issues they face from those facing other athletes. The management of LBP in classical dancers needs to take proper account of the biopsychosocial and environmental landscapes in which they work.

Conclusion: Building trustful relationships, shared decision-making and exploration of dancers' beliefs are key pillars of LBP care. The current literature does not fully explore these issues and fails to provide dance-specific screening tools.