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Injuries for Life

In the dance industry, career-ending injuries are all too common. As a dance teacher, coach, or instructor, it is important to be aware of some of the most common dance injuries. According to a study by Dr. Raj Deu and Hopkins Medicine, the following are injuries often seen on dancers:
  • Hip Injuries
    • Snapping hip syndrom 
    • Hip impingement 
    • Labral tears
    • Hip flexor tendonitis 
  • Foot and ankle injuries
    • Achilles tendonitis 
    • Trigger toe and ankle impingement 
  • Knee injuries
    • Patellofemoral pain syndrom 
  • Stress fractures
    • Metatarsals 
    • Tibia
    • Lumbar Spine
    • Sesamoids
  • Arthritis 
    • Knee
    • Hip
    • Ankle
    • Foot
As a teacher, it is important to listen to your students if they are complaining of pain in these areas. It help them distinguish between pain and an injury, you can ask them the following questions:
  • Does the pain keep you up at night?
  • Is the pain already present before you start dancing?
  • Does the pain increase with activity?
  • Does the pain make you compensate or shift your weight with your movements?
If your dancer answers yes to these questions, advise them to see a doctor to evaluate their injuries and seek treatment. It is possible to prevent injuries if you are proactive when pain is detected. Career ending injuries can be absolutely devastating and it is our job to try to help prevent this as much as possible.


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