Argentine Tango Practice as a Balance Intervention for Cancer Survivors
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Date
2016-03-30
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Abstract
Cancer survivors have reported that problems in balance and walking are a leading cause of distress and discomfort post-cancer. This critical loss of balance function is attributed to deconditioning and peripheral neuropathy resulting from chemotherapy treatments or lymphedema. Our study evaluates feasibility of the use of Argentine Tango to improve balance among cancer survivors, focusing on survivors who are deconditioned or nerve damaged (e.g. Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy). Our primary aim is to determine the feasibility of conducting a 10-week, dance-based balance intervention given concerns regarding retention and compliance among participants who are receiving concurrent care in oncology and rehabilitation. Our follow-on aim is to establish pilot data regarding the impact of participation on balance function, specifically on balance measures that have been shown to correlate to participant risk of falling (i.e., root mean square medial-lateral sway amplitude during eyes closed condition). We offered 20 sessions (1-hour each) of Argentine Tango over 10 weeks and collected the following data each class: attendance, satisfaction with intervention. In addition, at three time points (baseline, 5 weeks, 10 weeks) we collected a biomechanical measure of fall risk. Satisfaction with intervention was high for cancers survivors and controls. In addition we report balance data from a group of cancer survivors with peripheral neuropathy post cancer due to chemotherapy or lymphedema and age-matched controls. At the beginning of the intervention this group of cancer survivors started at higher than normal medial-lateral sway indicating high fall risk, but ended within normal range by midpoint (5-weeks) of the intervention. The cancer survivors showed an average 56% reduction in medial-lateral sway at midpoint (p<0.01) achieving values comparable to controls. This work provides the first known evidence regarding whether cancer survivors find a dance-based intervention, Argentine Tango, satisfying and feasible for balance improvement. Improved control of lateral stability after 5-weeks of practice indicates that Argentine Tango is a promising balance intervention for cancer survivors experiencing impaired balance post treatment.
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Art/Architecture: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)
Keywords
Dance, Cancer, Tango, Rehabilitation, Balance, Dance Education