Helping Injured Dancers
Jackie Barbano and Hilary Jones
has been said that ballet ranks with football as one of the most demanding
sports of all. This makes sense if you consider that whenever dancers jump,
their bodies absorb twelve times their body weight each time they land. Dancers
may jump in excess of 200 times in class, and as they prepare for recitals they
often take their regular classes during the week in addition to recital
practice. When you multiply the number of jumps in a dance routine by the
number of run-throughs in a given rehearsal, this adds up to significant
physical stress on muscles, joints, and bones.
a result many professional and recreational dancers suffer injuries related to
shock absorption and repetitive stress. Many dancers, especially young dancers,
dance in bare feet or in jazz shoes that offer little support. And while tap
dancers wear more supportive shoes, the percussive nature of their dance leaves
them at risk for injuries, as well.
physical therapists who treat dance-related injuries, we would like to offer
some tips for prevention of injuries.
your feet work so hard during dance, give them a break when you are not dancing
by wearing footwear with good support.
alignment through your trunk and leg is important in order to dance safely. To
achieve proper alignment you need strength in the core muscles of your abdomen
and back, hips, and knees. Strength in these muscles and joints provides
stability in the feet and ankles. If you are a dancer, pay special attention to
strengthening the muscles in your core and your hips.
sure to get adequate rest. By this we mean that your weekly schedule should
include days with no dancing. A common injury among dancers is stress fracture,
which occurs from the force and strain of repeated jumping and landing. Without
some down time, muscles become fatigued and this leads to injuries.
a well-balanced diet with sufficient calories to support the energy you expend
as a dancer. This is particularly important for adolescent dancers whose bones
and muscles are still growing and gaining strength. As bones grow, muscles must
strengthen to support the weight of heavier bones. This growth requires
calories, in addition to the calories required to meet the demands of dancing.
A proper diet and appropriate hydration are both essential for dancers.
advise dancers to do a dynamic movement warm-up before engaging in any static
stretching. Static stretching before warming up your muscles sets you up for
muscle strain. Come see us to learn a proper dynamic warm-up!
you injure yourself dancing, it is a good idea to see a health-care
professional sooner rather than later. We typically start with a consultation,
injury assessment, and patient education. If the injury does not resolve within
a few days, we have patients return for additional physical therapy to address
the underlying issues that led to the injury.
the course of physical therapy, we help dancers adjust muscle imbalance by
strengthening weak muscles and stretching tight muscles. Together we work on
balance and proprioception (the sense of knowing where your body is in space
and controlling its movement). We also assess many related factors including
form and alignment, footwear in and out of dance, and gait while walking,
running, and dancing. By analyzing contributing factors and putting together an
individualized treatment and training plan for injured dancers, we have had
good success helping recreational and competitive dancers avoid future injuries.
you study ballet or enjoy recreational dancing, you may be at risk for
repetitive motion injuries. However, if you treat your body with care, you may
be dancing well into your senior years. Remember, prevention is the best cure.
Barbano is a doctor of physical and Hilary Jones holds a master’s degree in
physical therapy. Both are orthopedic certified specialists with expertise in
foot and ankle problems and experience in treating common injuries of dancers
and performers. They are on staff in Cayuga Medical Center’s Department of
Physical Therapy at the Island Health Center and Brentwood PT office, where
they can be reached at (607) 252-3500 and (607) 274-4159.