Dance Related Injuries

DANCE
RELATED
INJURIES
Injury
is tissue or organ
damage due to
mechanical trauma.
The musculoskeletal
structures commonly
injured in a dancer are
the muscles, tendons,
ligaments, bones, and
joints.
• In US, 37% increase in dance
related injuries among children
and teenagers from 1991 to 2007
were reported.
• In UK, 43% of dancers aged 8-18
years old suffered an injury
• More than half of the injuries affects the lower
extremities such as ankle and knee. Moreover, the
muscles, tendons, and ligaments were more likely to be
injured than the bone or the joint.
INJURY RISK FACTORS
According to the Meeuwisse model
(1994), some intrinsic factors predispose
an individual to injury and another set of
extrinsic factors increase the
susceptibility of an individual.
Intrinsic factors are variables that you are able
to control to prevent yourself from
an injury whereas extrinsic factors are variables that
you are unable to control to prevent yourself from
an injury.
FACTORS COMMON AMONG
DANCERS WHO HAVE INJURIES:
• Poor body alignment
and technique
– The anatomical
alignment and
technique of the
dancer are some of
the intrinsic factors
that are commonly
associated with injury.
• Excessive training
duration and
intensity
– Excessive training and
limited recovery
impairs the ability to
heal and repair
damaged tissues.
• Hard Dance Floor

– A hard dance floor does not help in
dissipating the impact and returns the force
to the dancer.
• Poor shoe design
– A shoe that does not fit properly or has
insufficient shock absorption will significantly
contribute to injury risk
• Muscle imbalance
– Uncoordinated muscle action because of
uneven strength between muscle groups.
TYPES OF DANCE-RELATED
INJURIES
There are two types of musculoskeletal
injuries:
1. Acute injuries – usually the result of a single, traumatic
event. (e.g. sprains, fractures, shoulder dislocations)
2. Chronic injuries - occurs due to repetitive trauma and
the body is not given enough time to recover. (e.g. shin
splints, runner’s knee)
Acute injuries happen suddenly, such as sprained ankles. Chronic

injuries happen after you play a sport or exercise over a long period of
time.
Common Acute Dance-related Injuries
1. Ankle Sprain
– Cause: Twists the
ankle after a jump
– Symptom: Pain at
the side of the
ankle
– Prevention:
Exercises that
strengthen the foot
and improve
balance
2. Dancer’s Fracture
– Cause: Twists the
when turning
– Symptom: Pain at the
outer part of the foot
– Prevention: Exercises
that strengthen the
foot and improve
balance
If the patient has the ability
to actively move the foot
outwards (eversion), the injury
will likely heal with non-operative
treatment.
3. Back Strain
– Cause: sudden
movement of the
trunk
– Symptom: Pain and
stiffness in the low
back
– Prevention: Proper
posture and
technique
4. ACL(Anterior
Cruciate Ligament)
Tear
– Cause: twists the knee

after a jump
weakness in the knee
– Prevention: Exercises
that strengthen the
knee and improve
balance
5. Forearm
Fracture
– Cause: falls on an
outstretched arm
deformity near the
wrist
– Prevention: fall on
the side or
buttocks
Common Chronic Dance-related
Injuries
1. Stress Fracture
–Cause:
prolonged
repetitive
loading
–Symptom: pain
near the heel
(e.g. shin)
–Prevention:
adequate rest
Injuries
2. Achilles
Tendinosis
– Cause: excessive
training
– Symptom: Pain
near the heel in
morning
– Prevention:
adequate rest
Injuries
3. Patellofemoral
Pain Syndrome
– Cause: muscle
imbalance
– Symptom: pain at
the side of the
knee
– Prevention:
strengthening and
flexibility exercises
Injuries
4. Plantar Fasciitis
– Cause: poor foot
mechanics and hard
dance floor
– Symptom: pain at
the sole when they
take a step after
sleeping
– Prevention: proper
technique and
footwear
Injuries
5. Hip and Knee
Osteoarthritis
– Cause: prolonged
repetitive loading
– Symptom: Pain
that worsens over
time
– Prevention:
adequate rest
Strategies that could reduce injury
risk….
The cause of injury is an
interplay of the factors that
make an individual susceptible
to injury and biochemical stress
experienced by the
musculoskeletal structure.
Injury Prevention
1. Programmed exercise and training
2. Adequate recovery
3. Appropriate environment
4. Proper footwear
5. Proper warm-up and technique
6. Cross training
7. Early recognition
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE TISSUES
AFTER IT IS DAMAGED?
The damaged structures
sends out a message as soon
as the body part is injured
thru hormones. Once the
system is made aware of the
injury, it sends out resources
to stabilize the injured area,
clear damaged tissue and
replace it with a new one. The
general term for this response
is called inflammation.
MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE AND
OVERUSE INJURIES
PRICE principle
• Protect – restrict movement using
immobilization technique.
• Rest – The limb should not be used for
some time to allow recovery.
• Ice – application of cold material to
reduce swelling and alleviate pain.
• Compress – application of bandage
over the injured area to minimize
blood flow and control swelling.
• Elevate- bringing the injured limb
higher than the level of the heart
MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE AND
OVERUSE INJURIES
Immobilization- the first
aid procedure for fractures
and dislocation. There are
three types of immobilization:
a) Rigid splint – hard materials
like wood
b) Soft splints – newspaper,
pillow cloth
c) Anatomical immobilization –
utilization of uninjured body
part as splint.
EMERGENCY PLANS
Each school should have an
Emergency Action Plan.
In the Philippines, the emergency
hotline is 911.
How are overuse injury treated?
• Anti-inflammatory
medications
• Exercise to injured limbs
• Rest
• Intensive regimen
–X-RAY
– TENS (Transcutaneous
electrical nerve simulation)
Stress and Injury
1. Body image
2. Technique
3. Performance
4. Injury
Eating disorders common among
dancers
1. Anorexia nervosa – self-starvation
because of fear of gaining weight
2. Bulimia nervosa overeating followed
by self-induced vomiting due to feeling
of guilt
3. Anorexia athletica- excessive
exercising because of fear of gaining
weight.
How can dancers train physically
to reduce risk of injury?
Health Related Fitness Performance Related
Fitness
Cardiovascular power
endurance
Muscular strength Speed
Muscular endurance Coordination
Flexibility Balance
Body composition Agility
Reaction time
How can dancers train physically
to reduce risk of injury?
1. Cardiovascular endurance- the ability
of the circulatory system to
effectively distribute oxygenated
blood to working muscles.
2. Muscular fitness- ability of the
muscles to generate maximal force
and sustain contraction for prolonged
periods.

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DANCE

• Hard Dance Floor

Acute injuries happen suddenly, such as sprained ankles. Chronic

– Cause: twists the knee

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