Utilizing Dance/Movement Therapy to Help Alleviate the Physical and Emotional Effects of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Literature Review

This capstone thesis literature review investigates dance/movement therapy as a complementary intervention to address the physical, mental and emotional effects of thoracic outlet syndrome. No research currently exists linking DMT and TOS in any capacity, so the author analyzes her own experience of utilizing various DMT techniques throughout her TOS recovery and reviews literature regarding DMT and conditions with similar symptoms to TOS, such as chronic pain, chronic illness, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, stress and anxiety. The author hypothesizes that dance/movement therapy would be an effective complementary treatment to combat the physical, mental and emotional effects of TOS. The work presented in this literature review indicates that the author’s hypothesis has merit, because the research demonstrates a positive correlation between DMT and all conditions and symptoms that were investigated. The author states that further research is needed to explore and test this hypothesis, and she proposes a research method that could do so. This method utilizes a control group with TOS that does not receive any mental health services, a control group with TOS that is provided traditional talk therapy in a group setting, and a test group with TOS that is provided DMT group therapy interventions