Most injuries in dance don’t happen suddenly. Instead, students often suffer from chronic overuse injuries. Some minor impairments can be treated without visiting a physician. Too often, though, smaller injuries become more severe because proper care is not administered early
Most injuries in dance don’t happen suddenly. Instead, students often suffer from chronic overuse injuries. Some minor impairments can be treated without visiting a physician. Too often, though, smaller injuries become more severe because proper care is not administered early or because dancers continue self-care despite warning signs that more specialized care may be necessary.
Parents and teachers of children and teens want to know, “What are the warning signs that a dance student should see a doctor?”
1. Here is what you need to know…
Pain = Cause for Concern
Pain is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong. Even the youngest children (3 or 4 years of age) can tell us where and when something hurts. Unfortunately, sometimes dancers learn very early to overlook or ignore pain. Teachers and parents can create an environment in which students develop a mindset to recognize and respect their body’s warning signals. There is no gain in ignoring pain.
2. Here is the answer to the question…
If the pain, discomfort, or problem persists beyond 2-4 days, consult your teacher. If the teacher does not see the source of, or cannot correct the problem your child should see a doctor.
These are usually obvious because they come about as a result of an incident. Landing wrong from a jump. Falling from a lift. Slipping while crossing the stage. Severe injuries like broken bones obviously need immediate attention and a visit to the doctor. For most common ailments…
- First aid suggests the R.I.C.E method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) for strains, sprains, swelling, etc.
- In addition, staying hydrated and eating well promotes healing.
- See #2 above
Overuse or chronic injuries are sometimes triggered by an event that is allowed to persist without proper rest or rehabilitation. However, often they are caused or aggravated by other circumstances (this is a great list, adapted from this one about kids in sports):
- growth spurts
- imbalance between strength and flexibility
- inadequate warm-up
- excessive activity (for example, increased intensity, duration, or frequency of training)
- improper technique
- unsuitable floors
Signals of Chronic Pain
Deborah Vogel (thebodyseries.com) offers these four signals of chronic pain, as well as an excellent explanation of how dance injuries start in small ways, in an article about a hamstring/sciatic injury. I highly recommend you read her words for yourself.
- Pain that gets progressively worse during working out.
- Pain that comes after you work out and the next day comes back after less working.
- Pain that is accompanied by a certain movement (e.g. arabesque).
- No real sense of “pain” but a de