By in Sports Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy and Dance

“Injury is a major concern among dancers, as current rates are reported as being as high as 89%, particularly in the lower limb.” (Baker, Jo; Scott, Daniel; Watkins, Katherine; Keegan-Turcotte, Sheramy; Wyon, Matthew; Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Volume 25, Number 1, 1 March 2010, pp. 10-15(6)

As a former professional dancer, I have encountered many injuries throughout training and my career, therefore bringing this issue to people’s attention is very important to me. Those injuries I endured included various hamstring strains, broken toes and ankle sprains to mention a few.  As the research above shows lower limb injuries are very common but obviously not limited to dancers and many other injuries can be encountered by those in the performing arts arena.

To dance is to express oneself through movement and your instrument is your body. Like in all activities where we rely on our bodies to take risks and constantly push our physical limits we need to understand how to look after our instrument so that we can continue with the pursuit of our passion.

I now realise that if I had had access to physiotherapy treatment at a younger age I could have radically reduced my pain, improved healing times and gotten back to training and performing at a much quicker rate.  We must start to think of our body as an instrument or tool that we need to respect.  

In order for this instrument to play the melody that we aspire to we need to achieve 3 basic elements.  We need to cultivate a rigorous working practice to ensure that our muscles are:

A) Strong enough to perform the tasks required of it

B) Long enough to perform the tasks required of it

C) In the most optimal position to perform the tasks required of it

Of course, these injuries are not exclusive to those who aim to become professionals.  The strain that the young body endures throughout those exciting early years of ballet, tap, modern, jazz, Irish dancing, street dance (and the list goes on…!) can lead to long-standing problems as the body is still growing and not always ready to cope with the stress expected in this field.

Physiotherapy, therefore, is a fantastic adjunct to help those younger and older to achieve their dreams safely and successfully.

Book in now for a thorough assessment to make sure you can continue with your passion and thrive! Call The Body Matters on 01702 714968.

This article was written by Therese Ragghianti.

Louise
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