An Overview of Dance Injuries and Rehabilitation

An Overview of Dance Injuries and Rehabilitation

Regardless of our own dancing abilities most of us can appreciate a gifted dancer. The appeal of dance is largely based on its unique blend of athleticism and artistry. It is perhaps less known for its physical and mental demands and its accompanying external and internal pressures. Consequently, injuries are common in dancers of all levels. The lower extremity is the most common area of injury with the foot/ankle, hip and knee being the most frequently reported in the literature. Sprains and strains are the predominant type of traumatic injury but non-traumatic injuries such as tendinopathies are also common. Pronation and insufficient ankle plantarflexion have previously been reported as potential musculoskeletal risk factors for injury. Recent research, however, has found both factors to be inconsistently linked to injury. Highlighted below are a few of the most prevalent non-traumatic injuries sustained by dancers. Knee - Patellofemoral Pain (PFP) With the amount of jumping, twisting, leaping, and squatting that dancers do on a weekly basis, it’s no surprise that a dancer’s knee joints endure a significant amount of impact and are highly susceptible to injury. In severe cases, localized pain at the patella may completely sideline a dancer from training and performing. Lower leg/ankle Tendonipathies of the tibialis posterior, the peroneals and the flexor hallucis longus, as well as posterior ankle impingement are common injuries in this part of the body. Feet Similar to the knee, the joints of a dancer’s feet also experience a reasonable amount of stress. The most commonly affected parts of the foot are the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint and the joints involving the cuboid and navicular bones. Stress Fractures The most common areas for stress fractures to develop in dancers are at the metatarsals, specifically the base of 2^nd metatarsal, and the tibia and fibula. Stress fractures higher up the chain, at the femoral neck and the spine, are also known to occur. Successful Rehabilitation Treatment of an injury, dance-related or otherwise, is most successful when the main contributing cause is addressed. PFP, for example, can be notoriously difficult to treat due to the wide variety of contributing factors. The list of causes includes inflexibility in the quadriceps/hamstrings/calf/iliotibial band, insufficient hip and core muscle control, foot and ankle weakness, and/or faulty dance technique leading to increased stress at the knee joint. A detailed history taking and thorough objective assessment are necessary to pinpoint the factor at fault. For successful rehabilitation and to limit injury re-occurrence, it is imperative that a dancer has their technique analysed by an individual trained in movement analysis, such as a physiotherapist. Often, a simple tweak to their technique is enough to heal the injury and limit re-occurrence. A common movement worth analysing is the turnout in ballet. It is not uncommon for dancers to use cheating mechanisms to achieve a greater functional turnout, such as lumbar hyperextension and over-pronation. Breaking down a movement to analyse the dancer’s patterns of motor recruitment will more often than not save time for both the therapist and the dancer and lead to a speedier recovery.

Dancing Athlete Workshop

If you are interested in learning more about dance injuries or you are currently working with dancers and would like some inside knowledge about helping your clients with the rigours of the sport then you may find our Dancing Athlete workshop beneficial to attend. This course will go through the training demands of a dancer and revise the functional anatomy of dance. The way a dancer uses their hips, ankles and spine are the main focus. The types of injuries commonly encountered are reviewed and preventative and rehabilitation exercises are described and practiced. It is a highly practical course and will provide you with relevant tips for work with all levels of dancers, from the child starting ballet through to the elite level athlete. A pre-pointe assessment will also be given. Additionally, given the lessons learned from dance for treatment of the hips and foot and ankle complex in particular, there is much that can be used for athletes in other sports. One example is posterior ankle impingement, seen also in fast bowlers and soccer players, amongst other sports. The research and experience from working with dancers can be used to help improve outcome in these other athletes. The Dancing Athlete course will be returning to Melbourne on Sunday 20 March. The course will run from 9am-5pm at Viva Physiotherapy on Flinders Lane in the CBD. The cost of the course is $300. Book online now by clicking here or call 03 9981 1860. If you have any questions please contact us. Read more about Rachele and the Dancing Athlete course here. REFERENCES: Gamboa, J. M., Roberts, L. A., Maring, J., & Fergus, A. (2008). Injury patterns in elite preprofessional ballet dancers and the utility of screening programs to identify risk characteristics. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 38(3), 126-36. Retrieved from http://www.jospt.org/doi/abs/10.2519/jospt.2008.2390 Hincapie, C. A., Morton, E. J., & Cassidy, J. D. (2008). Musculoskeletal injuries and pain in dancers: A systematic review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 89, 1819-29. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2008.02.020 Negus, V., Hopper, D., & Briffa, N. K. (2005). Associations between turnout and lower extremity injuries in classical ballet dancers. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 35(3), 307-18. Retrieved from http://www.jospt.org/doi/abs/10.2519/jospt.2005.35.5.307