Dance
Due to a variety of circumstances including the nature of their art form and the physical demands it places on their bodies, dancers are vulnerable to accidents and injuries.
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Who We Help
We work with dancers of all ages from any discipline to aid recovery and injury prevention.
Dancers can be more likely to get injuries for the following reasons:
1. Repetitive:
Dancers frequently repeat particular routines and techniques a lot during practise and performances.
2. Physically demanding:
Dance calls for a great level of stamina, flexibility, and strength. Injury risk is increased by the extra strain the intense physical demands might put on the musculoskeletal system.
3. Range of Motion:
Dancers frequently need to accomplish extraordinary ranges of motion, such as excessive flexibility in the hips and spine or hyperextension in the knees and ankles.
4. Incorrect Technique or Alignment:
This can put undue strain on particular body components, which can result in overuse injuries, abnormal stress or biomechanical imbalances.
5. Frequency and Intensity:
Dancers frequently maintain demanding training routines that include lengthy hours of practise and rehearsal.
6. Insufficient Rest and Recovery:
Between training sessions and performances, dancers may not always have enough time for rest and recovery. Yet rest and recovery are key!
Dancers should put an emphasis on injury prevention techniques like as adequate warm-up and cool-down routines, conditioning exercises, and rest and recovery times to reduce the chance of injuries. Additionally, addressing any biomechanical problems, muscular imbalances, or technique defects that may contribute to injury can be made easier by working with qualified physiotherapists and dance educators who comprehend the special requirements of dancers.
Dancers can maintain their physical well-being and perform at their best by attending regular physiotherapy sessions, which can aid with injury management, rehabilitation, and the implementation of injury prevention programmes adapted to the particular demands of dance.
What We Treat
Here are some common injuries that dancers may experience and how physiotherapy can help:
Strains/Sprains:
Sprains such as the ankle, toes or main muscle bulks can occur due to the physical demands of dancing and often jumping and landing accidents. Physiotherapy treatments for this condition may involve methods like soft tissue massage, mobilisations, stretches, and exercises that focus on strengthening tlyhe affected muscle group. We can help speed up recovery, reduced pain and increase strength. Subsequently we can reduce the risk of injuries.
Examples:
- Patella Tendonitis
- Meniscus Tears
- MCL and LCL Tears
Stress Fractures:
Unfortunate some dancers are known to suffer from stress fractures. We can help by offering advice on activity restriction, and develop a phased return-to-dancing program, and prescribe suitable exercises to maintain fitness and promote bone healing. We can also assess factors that may have contributed to the development of the fracture – such as biomechanics, mobility and strength.
Hip Injuries:
Due to the positions often required in dance, hip injuries are quite common. Treatment can include hands on work, joint manipulation, mobilisation and more. To aid recovery and long-term hip health. By modifying dance technique and using strengthening and flexibility exercises, physiotherapy can aid in the conservative management hip injuries. Proprioceptive and strength training, hip joint mobilizations, and core stabilisation exercises can all help with symptom relief and functional improvement.
Examples:
- Glute Strain
- Glute / Piriformis Syndrome
- Labral Tear
- Labral Tear
Back Injuries:
At Achieve Health we specialise in back and spinal problems. We can treat as well as manage back pain and tailor recovery and rehabilitation around a dancer’s specific needs and demands. We can also educate patients on good posture and technique, incorporate exercises to increase core stability and flexibility, and create a progressive strengthening programme to support the spine and lessen discomfort.
Examples:
- Muscle Strain
- Spondylolysis or Spondylolisthesis
- Trapped Nerve
How We Can Help!
Dancers’ physical therapy focuses on injury avoidance, recovery, and performance improvement. Dancers and physiotherapists collaborate closely to create individualised treatment regimens that combine manual therapy methods, therapeutic exercises, stretching, conditioning, and instruction in body mechanics and injury avoidance tactics.
Everything from your toes up are vital – everything needs to be working perfectly despite the demands.
We can assist dancers in recovering from injuries, improving technique, preventing more injuries, and maximising their performance on stage by addressing specific injuries, optimising movement patterns, and promoting general physical well-being.
