Open Access

Rationale: Dance as an intense kind of performance is associated with high loads on the musculoskeletal system. In particular, the lower limb is exposed to these high loads, which is reported by a high prevalence. Most dancers are affected by injuries during their careers, most in the lower limb. Typical risk factors for dancers include the compensatory turnout, hypermobility, and core stability. The correlation between these factors and lower limb injuries is not fully understood. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between lower limb injuries and the risk factors compensated turnout, hypermobility and core stability. Based on these results, hypotheses can be generated for further studies. Methods: This explorative pilot study was conducted at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. All eligible participants were scheduled for a single research appointment if they fulfilled the inclusion criteria of dance experience (ballet, modern, contemporary or jazz) at least one year with dance lessons of at least 5 hours per week. Parameters for the correlation analysis were (1) core stability, measured by the motor control tests battery proposed by Luomajoki, (2) hypermobility, measured by the Beighton Score (3) compensated turnout, measured by the difference between functional turnout and external rotation of both hips, (4) dance hours per week, (5) dance experience in years, (6) professional dance experience in years and (7) dance style (ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz). These parameters were correlated with the numbers of lower limb injuries. Significance level was set at 90% because of the explorative character of the study with the purpose to generate hypotheses. Results: Sixteen female dancers with different levels of dance experience (mean 11.3 years) and dance lessons per week (mean 17.6 hours) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and participated in this study. Significant correlations with the numbers of lower limb injuries were found at core stability (rs=0.489, p=0.034, medium effect), dance hours per week (rs=0.459, p=0.048, medium effect) and professional dance experience in years (rs=0.396, p=0.093, medium effect). Two dance styles (modern dance: rs=0.388, p=0.101 and contemporary dance: rs=0.385, p=0.104) were close to the significance level. Conclusions: These results show correlations between core stability, dance hours per week, professional dance experience in years and lower limb injuries in dancers. Due to the limitations of a small and heterogeneous sample size as well as the medium effects, these results should be interpreted with caution, but may provide a basis for further research to this topic in the field of dance research and can be helpful in generating research hypotheses.

Rationale: Neck pain is a large health problem worldwide and often seen in musicians [1, 2]. Neck pain can radiate into the arm due to various underlying pain types and pain mechanisms making it heterogeneous in clinical signs and symptoms [3-5]. On the one hand, patients may present with dominant nociceptive neck-arm pain caused by activation of the nociceptors in muscles, joints, ligaments, fascia, tendons and the connective tissues of a nerve [6, 7]. Activation of nociceptors in nerve connective tissues may cause clinical signs of heightened nerve mechanosensitivity what is per definition categorized as nociceptive pain [6, 8, 9]. On the other hand, patients may present with dominant neuropathic pain, defined as pain as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system [10, 11]. The clinical profile of these different pain types is sometimes difficult to disentangle based on the localization and pain character [12]. Moreover, non-specific neck-arm pain patients shown a neuropathic pain component based on somatosensory changes detected via Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) [3, 13]. Classifications with a defined physical examination pathway can be helpful to define subgroups to guide the clinical decision making [14]. This workshop updates the background about the pathophysiology of neck-arm pain and mediates an evidence-based examination to classify patients. Purpose: The aim of this workshop is to give a current insight into the background and evidence of neck-arm pain and to plan and practice a physical examination. Content of Presentation: This workshop will summarize evidence of neck-arm pain. Thereupon, current evidencebased diagnostic options will be presented and practiced together. Finally, a short insight in the management of neck-arm pain will be given. Approach of Presentation: QST testing and current cost-effective evidence-based methods will be presented to identify neuropathic components in neck-arm pain. Selected methods will be performed practically together, e.g. bedside sensory testing and neurodynamic tests. Clinical Significance: After the workshop, participants will have improved skills to diagnose in the spectrum of neck-arm pain for musicians with neck-arm pain. At the end of the presentation, the participants will be able to: - understand the heterogeneity of neck-arm pain, - plan an appropriate diagnostic physical examination, - have an insight in possible management strategies.