Health
Live Well: Avoiding Dance Injuries
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Maybe it’s because I grew up in the country, but I don’t remember dance being such a big thing for little girls when I was young. But, attend almost any parade in South Louisiana and it will likely take two hands to count the number of dance teams that are in it. My 3 year old granddaughter is already in a dance class!
So, what does all of that have to do with living well? First of all, dance is great exercise and with all the news about the rise in childhood obesity, anything that’s fun and gets a child physically active is a good thing. Secondly, with any physically demanding activity you want to do everything you can to lower the risk of injury.
According to the organization called Stop Sports Injuries, dancers have been shown to be as susceptible as football players to getting hurt. Specifically, the group says repetitive movements that require extreme flexibility, strength, and endurance make dancers prime candidates for overuse injuries.
Certified Athletic Trainer Erik Strahan, DPT of Central Physical Therapy agrees with Stop Sports Injuries when it says, “feet, ankles and the lower legs are especially vulnerable to stress fractures, tendon injuries, sprains, and strains.” While these types of injuries can show up in dancers of any age, they’re more common in middle or high school dancers. Strahan says, “It’s what makes it so important to teach dancers how to prevent future injuries while they’re still young.”
The most common causes of repetitive-use dance injuries can be linked to one or more of the following:
Type of dance and frequency of classes, rehearsals, and performances
Duration of training
Hard floors and cold studios
Equipment, especially shoes
Body alignment
Ways young dancers can lower the risk of injury include:
Wear properly fitting clothing and shoes
Resist the temptation to dance through pain
Pay close attention to correct technique
Be mindful of the limits of your body and do not push too fast too soon
Perform proper warm-up and cool-down
Parents can also play a big role lowering the risk of injuries when their children dance. In ballet, for example, Stop Sports Injuries says parents should be sure their kids don’t start pointe training before the child's feet and ankles are strong enough. Age 12 is the generally accepted lower limit, but strength and maturity are more important than age. The group goes on to say that next to parents, instructors may be the most important line-of-defense against repetitive-use injuries in dance. “Students should also be instructed consistently on the importance of warm-ups and cool-downs, proper equipment, and at what point…it is appropriate to move on to the next level.”
Physical therapists and Athletic Trainers like CPT’s Erik Strahan can detect potential problems and prevent future injuries in dancers. To set up a screening time for your child or their entire dance team, contact Central Physical Therapy at 225.261.7094.
Phil Rainier is not a doctor. LiveWELL with Phil Rainier columns should never be considered medical advice. Phil Rainier's e-mail is [email protected]. Phil can also be reached by phone at 225.261.7094.
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