Dancing is fun, looks effortless but it does require a lot of flexibility, strength and stamina. It unfortunately also comes with a high risk of getting an injury. There are a few common dance injuries and some tips on how to best avoid them.
When we dance, we use so many of our joints and muscles, hence the most common injuries normally involve your lower limb.
Below are some of the common injuries that happen during dancing:
- Achilles tendonitis
- Ankle impingement
- Trigger toe
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome
- Hip impingement
- Labral tears
- Hip flexor tendonitis
- Hip bursitis
- Meniscus tear
- Stress fracture
How do you know if the pain you are feeling is from an injury?
If you experience muscle soreness after dancing that usually subsides within 48 hours, this can be considered as normal. If the pain you are experiencing does not get better and meets the following criteria below, then please see your GP or a physiotherapist as soon as possible. They will be able to determine if more tests are needed for a diagnosis or whether they can treat you with a personalised physiotherapy programme to get you on the road to recovery:
- If the pain keeps you up at night
- If the pain is present at the start of an activity
- If the pain gets worse the more active you become
- If the pain is so bad that you end up shifting your weight or compensating your movements
How can we prevent a dance injury?
We cannot prevent every dance injury all the time, but there are some tips to reduce your risk of injury with:
- Good diet, and hydration
- Ensure you have rest periods
- Carry out resistance-based strength training exercises
- Ensure you are wearing suitable shoes at all times
- Ensure you warm up and cool down before any dance training or performances
Using the RICE treatment after an injury which is, rest, ice, compression and elevation, will certainly help speed up your recovery, as this will reduce swelling and inflammation.
When you feel an injury happen it is vital to address them immediately and seek medical attention, Sports Physiotherapy can help you recover much quicker.
Please call Home Physio Group to see how Sports Physiotherapy can help you with your injury on 0330 335 1016 and get you on the right road to a quick recovery.