Effects of line dancing and flexibility training on chronic non-specific low back pain among college students: A randomized controlled trial

Complement Ther Med. 2026 Mar 3:103346. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103346. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Chronic non-specific low back pain is increasingly common among young adults, yet optimal exercise interventions remain unclear. This study compared two therapies: line dancing-Baduanjin (LD-B), a culturally integrated aerobic exercise, and flexibility training (FT) targeting thoracic and hip mobility. We evaluated their biopsychosocial effects on college students to inform precision-based exercise strategies.

METHODS: A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 84 college students. Participants were assigned to LD-B (n = 23), FT (n = 24), or control (n = 20) groups. LD-B and FT groups received 32 sessions. Various treatment outcomes (pain intensity, functional disability, and dynamic balance) and psychosocial outcomes (affective status, quality of life, and social support) were assessed before the intervention and after the 8-week intervention.

RESULTS: Significant interaction effects were observed across all the outcomes (p <.01). (1) Treatment outcomes: Both the LD-B and FT groups showed significant improvements in dynamic balance, pain intensity, and functional disability (p <.001). Only dynamic balance favored FT over LD-B (p <.05). (2) Psychosocial outcomes: LD-B demonstrated greater improvements in affective status (p <.001) and mental component summary of quality of life (p =.001), whereas FT improved the physical component summary (p =.007). Social support increased significantly only in the LD-B group (p =.002).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that both LD-B and FT effectively improved chronic non-specific low back pain among college students. Crucially, while equally alleviating pain intensity and functional disability, LD-B uniquely enhanced psychosocial well-being, whereas FT resulted in superior gains in balance function. LD-B's distinct efficacy positions it as a cost-effective, group-based intervention warranting integration into health initiatives for chronic non-specific low back pain management.

PMID:41786155 | DOI:10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103346