Nicholas, J., Weir, G., Alderson, J.A., Stubbe, J.H., van Rijn, R.M., Dimmock, J.A., Jackson, B., Donnelly, C.J., and UNSPECIFIED (2022) Incidence, Mechanisms, and Characteristics of Injuries in Pole Dancers A Prospective Cohort Study. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 37 (3). pp. 151-164.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Pole dancing is a challenging physical activ-ity. Prospective injury studies in pole dancing are lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence, mechanisms, and characteristics of injuries in pole dancers.

METHODS: A total of 66 pole dancers from 41 studios across Australia were prospectively followed over 12 months. An intake questionnaire was administered including items on pole dancers' demographics and train-ing characteristics. Exposure was assessed using a daily online training diary. Self-reported injury data were col-lected via an incident report form and subsequently coded using the Orchard Sports Injury Classification System. Injuries occurring during pole-specific and pole - related activities were included in the analyses.

RESULTS: The sample included 63 females and 3 males, mean age 32.3 +/- 8.9 years and mean pole training experience 3.5 +/- 2.8 years. 25 of 66 participants completed the full study. The 1-year incidence of all new injuries was 8.95/1,000 exposure hours (95% CI 6.94 - 10.96), 7.65/1,000 hrs (95% CI 5.79 - 9.51) for pole-specific injuries and 1.29/1,000 hrs (95% CI 0.53 - 2.06) for pole-related injuries. A total of 103 injuries occurred, 62.1% of which were sudden onset and 37.9% gradual onset. Mechanism of onset included 54.4% acute and 45.6% repetitive in nature. Shoulder (20.4%) and thigh (11.7%, majority ham-string) were the most reported anatomic injury sites. Non-contact mechanisms accounted for the majority of injuries (57.3%). The most reported primary contributor to injury onset at the shoulder were manoeuvres charac-terised by loaded internal humeral rotation (33.3%), and at the hamstring were manoeuvres and postures involv-ing front splits (100.0%).

CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that pole dancers are at high risk for injuries. Future research is needed to understand the biomechani-cal demand of manoeuvres and training characteristics of pole dancing (e.g., workload and recovery) to guide the development of preventative interventions, particularly targeted toward the shoulder and hamstring.

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