Effects of fascia-oriented training program on joint position sense, force sense and postural control of dancers

Introduction: The successful execution of dance elements demands exceptionally high levels of proprioceptive acuity. The fascial system contains significantly more mechanoreceptors than the muscular system and plays a crucial role in proprioceptive acuity. However, traditional dance training primarily focuses on the muscular system while neglecting the fascia. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a fascia-oriented training program compared to a traditional one on dancers’ joint position sense (JPS), force sense, and postural control. Methods: A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design was used in this study. Thirty-four female semi-professional dancers (20.652.33 years, contemporary dance) were randomly assigned to the fascia-oriented training group (treatment group, 17 dancers) and the control group (traditional training, 17 dancers). The intervention lasted 6 weeks (3 sessions per week, 90 min session). The lesson structure of the intervention group was the same as that of the control group, except for the fascia-oriented training program (15 min per session). Before and after the intervention the dancers performed the angle reproduction test (shoulder and knee Joint Position Sense test), the force-matching test and the single-leg test (total excursion of the center of pressure, ellipse sway area). Results: According to the findings of the study, the treatment group displayed better JPS compared to the traditional training program. No significant differences were observed regarding force sense and postural control. Conclusion: Fascia-oriented training program has a positive effect on JPS, which can positively contribute to dancers' performance and reduce the risk of injury.