Why Young Dancers Need a Physical Therapist Who Understands Dance
This blog post was written by Rosie Roker with editorial guidance and mentorship by Haley Loeffler, PT, DPT.
Rosie Roker is a passionate young advocate for dancer health and injury prevention who FlySpace has had the privilege of working with since she was in middle school. Now a high school student, she hosts “The Rose Method”, where she interviews health professionals and leaders in the performing arts community to explore how dancers can stay on their feet and thrive throughout their careers. Through her podcast, seminars, and passion for movement science, Rosie is committed to bringing injury prevention education to younger dancers and empowering them to pursue peak performance while protecting their long-term health.
Why Young Dancers Need a Physical Therapist Who Understands Dance
Adolescent dancers may be particularly vulnerable to injury due to the combination of intensive dance training and the physical changes associated with growth and maturation (1). The most common injury locations are the foot, ankle, hip, and lower back (2). These injury locations are often due to the specific technical demands of dance, as well as overuse injuries from repetitive jumping, turning, or dancing on pointe. A physical therapist trained to treat dancers is one provider of a dancer’s health care team that can help with not only recovery, but long term risk reduction, so dancers can train safely.
Asking the Important Questions
A dance medicine physical therapist knows the right questions to ask to understand how an injury is affecting a dancer's technique, training, and performance, allowing them to make an accurate diagnosis and develop an effective treatment plan.
Common Questions A Physical Therapist might ask a Dancer
When did the pain start?
What dance movements make the pain worse or better?
Styles of dance a dancer participates in? Each requires different movement patterns and physical demands
Questions Dancers Should be Prepared to Answer
How many hours the dancer dances per week.
Whether the training has recently increased.
Whether the dancer is currently preparing for a competition or performance.
Shoes worn during class, rehearsals and performance. This is specifically important because it gives insight to how dancers might need to change their dancing to accommodate a different shoe. A physical therapist can also train for their return to dance following an injury to make sure they can tolerate the demands of dancing in the specific shoe.
Strategies to Keep Dancers Dancing
Instead of stopping all activity, a trained physical therapist can modify movement to support healing while allowing dancers to continue training safely. They can suggest upper body work if the lower body is injured or marking choreography instead of dancing full-out. Load management can also be an option, for example, dancing only at the barre or reducing the frequency a dancer is going to class. Keeping dancers actively engaged by giving them a role as a rehearsal director or choreographer's assistant can maintain their connection to their dance community.
A physical therapist will also focus on strengthening and supporting the injured area through specific exercises. The physical therapist might be able to identify patterns the dancer has developed that contribute to injury risk. With some modifications, the dancer can build safer habits.
A physical therapist trained to support a young, injured dancer can provide insight to help the dancer stay moving through their injury. One barrier a physical therapist faces is that young dancers often do not want to sit out or take a break from dancing. Physical therapists do everything they can to avoid having dancers miss rehearsals or performances. They offer modifications for class to help with injury recovery. Physical therapists take recommending rest very seriously and will only suggest it if they think it is absolutely necessary. Physical therapists should educate dancers on why taking a break from dancing is being recommended. This decision is often put on the adolescent dancer which can be overwhelming. A physical therapist can help support dancers in talking with their teachers and other dance practitioners involved in the training of the young dancer to alleviate some of the pressure the dancer can feel.
Key Takeaways
Supporting young dancers is best treated by a physical therapist who understands the unique demands of dance. A dancer does not have to be injured to seek support. Physical therapists are a great resource to build strength and resilience, helping reduce injury risk while supporting improved technique. Hopefully, with the right care and following this guidance, a young dancer can have a long and healthy dance journey.
References:
Storm JM, Wolman R, Bakker EWP, Wyon MA. The Relationship Between Range of Motion and Injuries in Adolescent Dancers and Sportspersons: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology. 2018;9. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00287
Rinonapoli G, Graziani M, Ceccarini P, Razzano C, Manfreda F, Caraffa A. Epidemiology of injuries connected with dance: a critical review on epidemiology. Medicinski Glasnik. 2020;17(2):256-264. doi:10.17392/1201-20
