Exploring the Use of Dance Therapy for Vestibular Rehabilitation in Adults

Abstract

Background: Balance disorders impact people in all stages of their life. Individuals can experience unsteadiness, fear of movement, dizziness, nausea, and vertigo. Assessments are completed by medical professionals to determine the cause of the balance disorder, then treatments are prescribed. For peripheral balance disorders, rehabilitation can include physical therapy and movements performed by the individual at home to allow for the brain to compensate for the disorder. Adherence to such rehabilitation programs is not high, therefore other rehabilitation options must be explored. Dance is a movement form that utilizes and strengthens aspects of balance.Methods: A literature review was conducted to determine how dance has been used as a rehabilitation method for movement disorders. The search included various combinations of the following terms: “dance”, “rehabilitation”, “adults”, “therapy”, “treatment” and “balance”. Research articles that have been published in the last 25 years were included. Results: 35 articles remained following the literature search. The articles discussed various dance styles used for rehabilitation, various lengths and intensities of programs, and improvements in balance and movement measures. The articles were reviewed to determine if similarities exist between the movement disorders discussed and peripheral balance disorders. Conclusion: While no direct similarities were found between the movement disorders and balance disorders, it is hypothesized that aspects of dance can be incorporated into peripheral balance disorder rehabilitation methods to improve balance and movement measures for individuals. Further research must be conducted to determine the impacts of a dance-based rehabilitation specifically on peripheral balance disorders.