She moved to Scotland in 2021 to start out a PhD in dance well being, and solid a partnership with Glasgow Caledonian College and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), in collaboration with Scottish Ballet.
Whereas working in America, Ms Davis was a volunteer researcher in neurorehabilitation on the Kids’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and she or he selected to concentrate on MS in Scotland, which has one of many highest incidence charges of the illness on this planet.
Greater than 15,000 folks in Scotland have the neurological sickness which might have an effect on the mind and spinal wire. Ranges of MS are notably excessive within the north of the nation.
A examine of north-east Scotland discovered the extent per 100,000 folks in 2009 to be 229 in Aberdeen, 295 in Shetland and 402 in Orkney.
Ms Davis’ PhD examine contains Dance for A number of Sclerosis – A Systematic Overview, which was hailed the sixth most learn analysis paper within the Worldwide Journal of MS Care in 2023. Her analysis was funded with a Thouron scholarship.
She labored with Professor Lorna Paul, a rehabilitation knowledgeable in allied well being science at Glasgow Caledonian College, and RCS senior lecturer and doctoral levels co-ordinator, Dr Bethany Whiteside, to display the feasibility and security of dance remedy.
Ms Davis additionally famous improved psychological wellbeing, sense of belonging and enriched social relationships.
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She stated the analysis was impressed by English Nationwide Ballet’s programme Dance for Parkinson’s, described as a “very well-established international mannequin”, however stated making use of the identical idea to MS was “a novel space of each apply and analysis”.
Ms Davis stated: “Once I checked out dance for different neurological circumstances, I discovered that there have been solely 13 research on dance for MS, so there was solely restricted analysis on this space, and we’re conscious of actually solely a handful of dance programmes around the globe.
“We all know that motion, particularly rhythmic motion like dance, might be actually helpful for motion issues like Parkinson’s illness. Scottish Ballet is on the forefront of dance for MS within the UK and globally, so it’s been the most effective place to start out.
Scottish Ballet, right here performing The Snow Queen, helps Emily Davis’s work and runs courses for MS victims (Picture: (Jane Barlow/PA))“My analysis is their SB Elevate courses right here in Glasgow, the place the programme first started growth in 2018, after which appears to be like at their extra lately applied SB Elevate courses additional north in Perth and Orkney to search out out what advantages the dancers with MS are experiencing.
“I’m additionally how these courses are being applied, recognising a metropolis may be very completely different from an island group.
“The tip result’s actually hoping to proof and perceive how these courses work and might help folks dwelling with MS, in addition to to encourage future analysis utilizing completely different artistic strategies.”
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Prof Paul stated: “Emily’s ground-breaking analysis has offered proof on potential advantages of ballet for folks with MS for the primary time.
“Folks with MS can have issues with motion and stability which might be helped with train. Ballet is a type of bodily exercise which can be extra expressive, enjoyable and with a stronger social element than conventional types of rehabilitation.
“Emily’s PhD has been the catalyst for the profitable collaboration between Glasgow Caledonian, RCS and Scottish Ballet, and this collaboration will proceed to develop and strengthen because of Emily’s work.”
Now within the third 12 months of her PhD, Ms Davis is constant to review the SB Elevate programme, with the help and supervision of Professor Paul and Dr Whiteside, who additionally sit on the Scottish Ballet well being analysis committee.
Dr Whiteside stated: “Emily Davis’ PhD, centered on the perceived impression and expertise of dancing for people dwelling with a number of sclerosis, by means of participating with Scottish Ballet’s Elevate programme, will make a mandatory contribution to the restricted pool of current analysis.”
Scottish Ballet’s senior dance well being supervisor, Lisa Sinclair, stated: “Scottish Ballet are delighted to have supported Emily Davis throughout her modern Dance for MS PhD examine, which makes a major contribution to the worldwide discipline of dance for well being.”
