Due to the unique nature of dance, having an injury management and prevention strategy in place is extremely important to ensure safe performance.
A helpful way to determine what a dancer should or shouldn’t be doing is to see a qualified Physiotherapist, who has additional expertise in dance injuries.
The aim of undertaking an injury risk assessment with a Physiotherapist, in addition to managing or preventing injuries, is to improve the dancer’s technical precision, strength and stabilisation to allow for a dancer to perform at their best.
The outcome of these assessments and the Physiotherapists’ recommendations will vary depending on a range of factors including age, gender, technical experience, expertise, and choreography. It also takes into consideration the style of dance, timing, floor work, and partner work.
Ankle impingement can be described as a restriction or impingement of the soft tissue or bones around the ankle or during movement. This type of dance injury can often as a result of poor biomechanics or technique, muscle tightness or imbalances around the ankle (eg FHL Tendinopathy) or bony changes (eg Os Trigonum).
There are two types of impingement:
Ankle tendinopathies usually have a gradual onset, with dancers typically experiencing this condition due to overuse. Overuse may occur after an increase in rehearsal time or changes in choreography. You can find out more about tendinopathy treatment here.
Types of ankle tendinopathy commonly experienced by dancers include:
Patellofemoral pain generally presents around the kneecap, and with dancers it is usually related to poor alignment and control of the knee and lower limb. It also can often be related to weakness or poor control at the hip or the foot/ankle which can affect knee alignment and control.
Lateral ankle sprains and ankle instability are common in dancers dues to the high demands on the foot and ankle during jumping, landing, turning, and balancing on the foot and in demi-Pointe.
Poor treatment for ankle sprains can result in long term weakness and instability through the ankle which can then affect stability and control on the foot during dance and increase the risk of future, more severe injuries.
The high level of spinal mobility often encouraged in dance tends to put dancers at risk of back pain or injuries commonly related to things like muscular tension, facet joint strains (joints between each vertebra), stress fractures or slippage of the vertebrae relative to another.
Low back pain can be managed with appropriate treatment as well as education and retraining core and spinal strength and control.
The management of dance injuries doesn’t just involve Physiotherapy, but a team approach that can involve parents, dance teachers, doctors, sports physicians, and podiatrists.
Physiotherapy treatment will start with an assessment, which includes a detailed discussion of your injury and relevant past injuries. It will also include physical assessment of alignment, posture, muscle strength, range of motion, and dance related aspects such as foot and ankle control, turnout, flexibility, and core control.
Physiotherapy for dance injuries usually involves hands-on therapy to relieve pain and regain mobility, as well as advice and education on modifications or management techniques so you can still participate in dance class where appropriate.
It also is likely to involve home exercises to strengthen your body, or structured exercise including Pilates. Treatment always aims to provide a way for you to return to dance stronger than when you left, and is tailored to your individual needs.
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Kwa sababu ya asili ya pekee ya dansi, kuwa na mkakati wa usimamizi na kuzuia majeraha mahali ni muhimu sana kuhakikisha utendaji salama. Njia muhimu ya kuamua nini mcheza dansi anapaswa au hapaswi kuwa kufanya ni kuona mtaalamu wa Physiotherapist, ambaye ana utaalam wa ziada katika majeraha ya kucheza dansi. Lengo la kufanya tathmini ya hatari ya majeraha na mtaalamu wa matibabu ya mwili, pamoja na kusimamia au kuzuia majeraha, ni kuboresha usahihi wa kiufundi wa mchezaji, nguvu na utulivu ili kuruhusu mchezaji kufanya vizuri. Matokeo ya tathmini hizi na mapendekezo ya Physiotherapists itatofautiana kulingana na safu ya mambo ikiwa ni pamoja na umri, jinsia, uzoefu wa kiufundi, utaalam, na choreography. Pia hufikiria mtindo wa kucheza dansi, wakati, kazi ya sakafu, na kazi ya mwenzi. Mshtuko wa mguu unaweza kuelezwa kama kizuizi au mshtuko wa tishu laini au mifupa karibu na mguu au wakati wa harakati. Uharibifu wa mdundo wa mguu unaweza kutokea kutokana na biomechanics mbaya au mbinu, misuli ya misuli au kutofautiana karibu na mguu (kwa mfano, tendinopathy ya FHL) au mabadiliko ya mifupa (kwa mfano, Os trigonum). Kuna aina mbili za impingement: tendinopathies ya mguu kwa kawaida huwa na mwanzo wa hatua kwa hatua, na wachezaji kwa kawaida hupata hali hii kwa sababu ya matumizi ya kupita kiasi. Matumizi ya kupita kiasi yaweza kutokea baada ya kuongezeka kwa muda wa majaribio au mabadiliko katika choreography. Unaweza kupata habari zaidi kuhusu matibabu ya tendinopathy hapa. Matatizo ya tendinopathi ya mguu ya mviringo ya kawaida hutokea kwa wachezaji wa dansi, kwa mfano, maumivu ya patellofemoral, ambayo kwa kawaida hutokea karibu na knee, na kwa wachezaji wa dansi, kwa kawaida inahusiana na usawa mbaya na udhibiti wa goti na kiungo cha chini. Pia mara nyingi inaweza kuhusiana na udhaifu au udhibiti duni kwenye kiuno au mguu au kiwiko ambacho kinaweza kuathiri usawa na udhibiti wa goti. Mvunjiko wa mguu wa upande na kutoelewana kwa mguu ni jambo la kawaida kwa wachezaji wa dansi kwa sababu ya mahitaji makubwa ya mguu na mguu wakati wa kuruka, kutua, kugeuka, na kusawazisha mguu na katika demi-pointe. Matibabu mabaya ya sprains ya mguu yanaweza kusababisha udhaifu wa muda mrefu na kutokuwa na utulivu kupitia mguu ambao unaweza kuathiri utulivu na udhibiti wa mguu wakati wa kucheza na kuongeza hatari ya majeraha mabaya zaidi ya baadaye. Kiwango cha juu cha mwendo wa uti wa mgongo mara nyingi huchochewa katika densi, na huwaweka wachezaji katika hatari ya maumivu ya mgongo au majeraha yanayohusiana na mambo kama vile mvutano wa misuli, misuli ya sehemu ya pamoja (misuli kati ya kila uti wa mgongo), mfupa wa mkazo au kuanguka kwa uti wa mgongo. Maumivu ya mgongo yanaweza kudhibitiwa na matibabu sahihi na pia elimu na mafunzo ya msingi na nguvu ya uti wa mgongo na udhibiti. Usimamizi wa majeraha ya kucheza dansi hauhusishi tu Physiotherapy, lakini mbinu ya timu ambayo inaweza kuhusisha wazazi, walimu wa kucheza dansi, madaktari, madaktari wa michezo, na podiatrists. Matibabu ya matibabu ya mwili huanza na tathmini, ambayo inajumuisha majadiliano ya kina ya jeraha lako na jeraha muhimu za zamani. Pia itajumuisha tathmini ya kimwili ya usawa, msimamo, nguvu ya misuli, mbalimbali ya mwendo, na masuala yanayohusiana na densi kama vile miguu na vifundo kudhibiti, turnout, kubadilika, na udhibiti wa msingi. Physiotherapy kwa majeraha ya kucheza dansi kwa kawaida inahusisha matibabu ya mikono ili kupunguza maumivu na kupata mwendo, pamoja na ushauri na elimu juu ya marekebisho au mbinu za usimamizi ili uweze kushiriki katika darasa la kucheza dansi wakati unaofaa. Pia ni uwezekano wa kuhusisha mazoezi ya nyumbani ili kuimarisha mwili wako, au mazoezi ya muundo ikiwa ni pamoja na Pilates. Matibabu daima lengo la kutoa njia kwa ajili ya wewe kurudi kucheza nguvu kuliko wakati wewe kushoto, na ni tailored kwa mahitaji yako binafsi. Kwa kuwa unajua kuwa kuna baadhi ya wafanyakazi wetu wa afya wenye uzoefu na wenye ujuzi, unaweza kuwa na: