Posted
on August
31, 2016
Dancers today are smarter about
their bodies than ever before.
The field of dance medicine, led by organizations such as the International
Association of Dance Medicine & Science, founded in 1990, and Performing
Arts Medicine Association, founded in 1989, has revolutionized our approach to
dancer health. It’s become commonplace for major companies and schools
to offer cross-training, nutrition advice and access to health professionals as
the entire dance community has become more focused on wellness and healthy
best practices.
PC Nathan Sayers
Still, the injury rate remains
high. Dance remains a tradition based on a treasured aesthetic, not the
limitations of the human body. Although we may have a better understanding of
our kinesiology, the increasing technical expectations and today’s focus on
hypermobility put dancers at greater risk. After all, research can only do so
much—it’s up to dancers to follow experts’ findings and advice. So what do
dance medicine professionals see as the biggest mistakes dancers are still
making?
Starting with Static Stretching
Before class, you still see dancers
resting their legs on the barre, posing as if they were in a Degas painting.
Yet dance health experts insist dancers should instead be doing dynamic
stretches: large movements, like lunges, performed at a moderate rate to get
the blood flowing. “We know from science that static stretching temporarily weakens
muscles, impairs coordination, reduces balance and jump height,” says Dr. Nancy
Kadel, co-chair of the Dance/USA Task Force on Dancer Health. “Static
stretching is not warming up. It’s much better to walk, or do anything
else to elevate the heart rate.”
Misunderstanding the Core
The core is still not entirely
understood in the dance community. When we say we need to strengthen “the
core,” that often translates to simply doing ab exercises. This can lead to key
weaknesses in supporting the whole body in action. “Core control is much more
than just abdominal strength,” says Jan Dunn, a former president of IADMS and
current dance wellness editor of 4dancers.org. “It refers to back
stabilization, and involves the coordinated effort of several different muscles
in the torso to stabilize the spine.” See sidebar at left for one of her
favorite exercises.
Insisting on an MRI
Getting an MRI doesn’t always mean
you’ll recover sooner. Yet dancers often panic and seek one out, says Jennifer
M. Gamboa, DPT, founder of Body Dynamics in Virginia. “The results show
inflammation (no surprise), and don’t change initial course of care.” Since the
majority of musculoskeletal injuries resolve without any need for imaging, she
urges dancers not to panic. “Early imaging will not change healing,” says
Gamboa. “It is only necessary in obvious fractures or ruptures, or if
conservative care does not produce expected healing.”
Forcing Turnout
Screwing your feet into an
unnaturally tight fifth position wreaks havoc on everything from the bunions on
up. But some of the stretches dancers do to try to increase their hip rotation
can be equally dangerous. The worst offender is young dancers sitting in splits
or over-splits for 10 minutes or longer. Another culprit is the frog stretch, where
dancers lie on their bellies with their legs bent in a diamond shape behind
them (sometimes with a friend forcing the feet down). “This puts stress on the
knees, the hips and the lower back,” says Kadel. She suggests active rather
than passive stretching and exercises that increase the strength of your
rotation. “It’s much better to do the clam exercise, where you lie on
your side with your knees bent and your feet in line with your spine while
opening and closing your top knee. That way you work toward supporting the
turnout that you have.” (For more on accessing your full turnout potential, see
Your Body, on page 44.)
Self-Treating with Ibuprofen
Your dance bag should not be a
drugstore. While it’s tempting to treat every ache and pain with a pill, it could
backfire. “Inflammation is your body’s way of dealing with injury and we don’t
always want to suppress it,” says Kadel. “Studies tell us that taking ibuprofen
when not necessary can impede soft tissue and bone healing.” An
anti-inflammatory habit could also cover up something more serious. “If you
have three days of consecutive pain, see the doctor,” says Kadel. “You may end
up back onstage sooner.”
PC Nathan Sayers
Getting Medical Advice Online
When it comes to dispensing medical
information, the internet has been a game changer, but with that windfall has
come a great deal of misinformation. Beware of getting wellness advice from
individuals without proper credentials, especially when they want to charge you
for it. Who qualifies as a dance medicine expert? Look for degrees such as PhD,
MS, PT or ATC in a related field, plus experience as a dancer or working with professional
dancers, says Dunn. “If someone is promoting a strength-training program
for dancers, do they have credentials in that field, such as a Pilates or
American College of Sports Medicine certification?” she asks. The author should
provide clear references and sources for their information, indicating that
they are current with the latest dance medicine and science research.
Skipping Aerobic Work
Dancers need to do more than class
to stay injury-free. The stop-start nature of most classes and rehearsals
doesn’t build the stamina necessary for performance. “Dancers need to do some
form of aerobic exercise that keeps their heart rate elevated for 30 minutes at
least three times a week,” says Kadel. “You should be sweating but still be
able to speak.” Elliptical, cycling, swimming and running are all excellent
choices. Not only can this reduce your risk of injury, Kadel says studies show
that dancers who complete supplemental conditioning programs show improvement
in aesthetic performance: “Stronger, fitter dancers use less effort, have
better core control, fatigue later and thus are better able to dance full-out
and take more risks onstage.”
Nancy Wozny writes about the arts
from Houston, Texas, and has been guilty of every one of these habits.
