Dancing Away From Injury

"Growing up being highly involved in dance, as a dancer and a teacher, our Physiotherapist Shira Schwartz has been through her fair share of injuries, but also knows what dancing is all about and the strain that it can put on ones body and is our in house expert for anything related to dance and injuries. This article comes from her years of experience."

If you are performing a sport at an elite level, there is usually the risk of injury. Certain athletes in particular put their bodies into contorted positions and move with extreme amounts of speed. We’re referring, of course, to dancers. From grand jetes to petit allegro, barre exercises to floor work, the joints and muscles that make up a dancer’s body are pushed to the limit for the sake of their craft.

When treating dancers, we see a number of back and ankle injuries. Physiotherapists are equipped with the knowledge and tools to optimize your function during recovery – meaning that we can keep you moving safely and get dancers back to performing full-out ASAP.

BACK

When treating the lower back of a dancer, the cause of pain is usually muscular in origin. However, a common injury in dancers is spondylosis. Spondylosis is basically microfracturing in the vertebrae caused by excessive back extension, and can lead to pain and instability of the lower back. A physiotherapist can help identify whether back pain is caused by muscular spasm or spondylosis, and can refer to a physician if medical imaging is warranted.

As someone with an extensive dance background, I am aware of the vigours that dancer’s bodies are put through on a daily basis, and which movements put the lower back into a compromised position. I was a dance teacher for several years, and can help correct technique and offer dance-specific exercises to train a strong and well aligned core.

Here are some exercises to train the lower abs and glutes, and prevent excessive hyperextension: