Scoping Review of Dance for Adults With Fibromyalgia: What Do We Know About It?
Julia Bidonde, Catherine Boden, Soo Kim and 3 others
PMID 29748158WHAT IT FOUND
Evidence on dance for fibromyalgia is sparse and inconsistent.
Most studies combined dance with other therapies, making it impossible to isolate dance's specific effect. Safety was rarely assessed, and methodological flaws in trials prevent firm recommendations for clinical practice.
Key findings
01Most dance interventions were part of multi-component programs, so the specific contribution of dance alone cannot be determined.
02No included study systematically assessed adverse events or safety, representing a major gap in the evidence base.
03Randomized trials showed high risk of bias in selection, performance, detection, and reporting, limiting confidence in any positive findings.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review is a scoping review, not a meta-analysis, so it does not quantify effect sizes or provide pooled estimates of benefit. Included studies had high heterogeneity in dance definitions, intervention components, and outcome measures, making direct comparison impossible. Most interventions were multi-component, so the specific effect of dance cannot be separated from social interaction, music, or other co-therapies. Safety and adverse events were not systematically assessed in any study, leaving unknown risks. The randomized trials included in the review had high risk of bias in allocation, blinding, and reporting. The population was predominantly middle-aged women, limiting generalizability to men or other age groups.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the positive qualitative reports of enjoyment or social connection as evidence that dance improves fibromyalgia symptoms. The quantitative trials had high risk of bias, and most interventions combined dance with other therapies, so the specific benefit of dance remains unproven.