PE

1. CHAPTER 6
Rosel Sabarillo
Kassandra Velarde
Kristine Bautista
Dance-Related
Injuries
Jeri Mae Tajale
Ericka Pederio
Jeivey Bagayan
MaryRose Dizon
“Healing takes time, and asking for
help is

2. WHAT IS DANCE INJURY?
• Hip injuries: snapping hip syndrome, hip impingement,
labral tears, hip flexor tendonitis, hip bursitis and
sacroiliac joint dysfunction
• Foot and ankle injuries: Achilles tendonitis, trigger toe
and ankle impingement
• Knee injuries: patellofemoral pain syndrome
Dance-related injuries commonly affect feet and
ankles, low back, hips, and knees
. Dancers are particularly susceptible to overuse
injuries because repetitive practice is central to dance
training1. Some common dance injuries include:

3. What factors increase the risk of injury?
Researchers tried to identify the factors that influence
injury risk. 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.
However, these risk factors require an event (e.g.,
behavior) that will lead to an injury. Several factors have
been found to be associated with these injuries such as
poor technique (body alignment), poorly designed
training programs (excessive duration and intensity),
dance style (breakdance), and inappropriate equipment
(dance floor and shoes).

4. The following
factors are common
among dancers who
have injury:

5. 1.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. Dance requires moving the limbs in a
controlled and precise manner. These
movements are anchored to the trunk,
which means that the trunk should be
stable and the spine is aligned properly.
Poor spinal alignment and low trunk
stability can lead to uncoordinated
movements, which predispose an individual
to injury. Some dance styles such as break
dancing require perfect execution of
technique to ensure the safety of the
individual.

6. Figure 6.2. Correct (a) and incorrect
(b) body alignment in ballet.

7. 2.Excessive training duration and
intensity-
Excessive training and limited recovery
impairs the ability to heal and repair
damaged tissues. Intense technique
training will most likely lead to
microscopic injury to the
musculoskeletal structures due to
repetitive loading. Without proper rest
and sufficient nutrition, the body is not
able to rebuild the tissues and this
predisposes the dancer to a severe
injury. An abrupt increase in training
intensity will also lead to this scenario.

8. 3. Hard dance floor-
The floor is where dancers rehearse
and perform. An optimal dance floor
should be able to absorb the impact
that is generated by the performer. A
hard floor does not help in
dissipating the impact and returns
the force to the dancer. The
repetitive shock absorbed by the foot
would eventually damage the foot or
other parts of the lower extremity.

9. 4. Poor shoe design -
Footwear is able to correct foot
mechanics and reduce the impact
on the foot. A shoe that does not
fit properly or has insufficient
shock absorption will
significantly contribute to injury
risk. Furthermore, some
materials used on the soles do
not offer sufficient traction on the
floor and this could lead to slips
and falls.

10. Figure 6.3 Different types
of dance shoes

11. What are the common types of dance-related
injuries?
There are two types of musculoskeletal
injuries: acute and chronic. Acute injuries
occur when the mechanical force that is
absorbed by the musculoskeletal structure is
more than what it is accustomed to. The
onset of pain and other symptoms occur
immediately after the impact. Chronic injuries
occur due to repetitive trauma and the body
is not given enough time to recover. The
onset of pain and other symptoms occur at a
gradual rate, which is usually worsened with
activity or training

12. 5. Muscle imbalance-
Muscle imbalance is an uncoordinated muscle
action because of uneven strength between
muscle groups. This is attributed to various
factors such as anatomy, technique and past
injury. For example, the thigh muscles pull up
the patella or kneecap every time it contracts.
In many individuals, the muscles on the outer
thigh are much stronger than the muscles on
the inner thigh. This causes the patella to move
slightly outwards instead of going up straight.
Over time, the repetitive abnormal motion of
the patella irritates the knee joint, which leads
to pain and inflammation (Sommer, 1988).

13. Table 6.1. Common Acute Dance-related Injuries
(Wozny, 2010)

14. What are some strategies that could reduce
injury risk?
The cause of injury is an interplay
of the factors that make an individual
susceptible to injury and
biomechanical stress experienced by
the musculoskeletal structure. While
there are no strategies that would
totally prevent someone from getting
injured, the risk of getting injured is
significantly educed when the factors
associated with injury are addressed.

15. 1. Programmed exercise and training
It has been reported that dancers are not as
physically fit as other types of athletes. Moreover,
several studies reported that poor cardiovascular
endurance increases the risk of dance-related
injuries (Angioi et al, 2009). Mostinjuries occur as
fatigue sets in. A dance training session is
commonly divided into a warm-up technique
training, choreography. and cool-down. The bulk of
the training session is devoted to technique training
and learning choreography Refining the dance
technique and learning choreography does not
trigger cardiovascular charges the cercises should
the inance training it is important that aerobic
exercise and resistance exerches should be included
in the over all training program.

16. What is the proper management technique
for acute injuries?
Acute injuries usually result in a full blown
inflammatory response because the extent of damage
is widespread and severe. The dancer would report
intense pain and weakness at the site of injury. The
role of the first responder is to recognize the location
of injury, type of injury, severity of injury, and
appropriate first aid procedure. The first responder
would be able to recognize the location of the injury
because it is usually the most painful area. The type
and severity of injury can be assessed after
performing a secondary survey. The secondary survey
would help identify if the tissue that was damaged
were bone/joints or soft tissues (i.e., muscle, tendon,
ligament). The first aid procedure would depend on
the type and severity of injury.

17. What is the proper management technique
for acute injuries?
Alleviating pain and restricting movement
can manage soft tissue injuries that are not
severe. The PRICE principle can be used to
help relieve pain and control inflammation.
PRICE is an acronym for Protect, Rest, Ice,
Compress, and Elevate. Protect means to
restrict movement by using immobilization
techniques. Rest means the limb should not
be used for some time to allow recovery. Ice is
the application of cold material to reduce
swelling and alleviate pain. Compress is the
application of an elastic bandage or similar
material over the injured area to minimize

18. What is the proper management technique
for acute injuries?
Elevate is a technique that helps
reduce swelling by bringing the injured
limb higher than the level of the heart.
The PRICE principle is applicable to soft
tissue injuries that are not severe and
the body can heal it on its own. Severe
soft tissue injuries such as ruptured
tendon will need surgical interventions
before healing can occur.

19. What are the sources of stress for dance athletes?
1.Body image
A dancer uses his/her body to
visually create lines that an audience
can appreciate from a distance. The
dancer's physique has the ability to
enhance these lines; however, a
dancer tend to worry about whether
his/her physique enhances or
detracts the audience from seeing
those lines.

20. What are the sources of stress for dance athletes?
2. Technique
Dance is an art form that requires
years of practice to perfect. Many
dance athletes worry about whether
their technique is good enough to
please choreographers and the
audience. They tend to compare
themselves to other dancers, which
aggravates their feelings of
incompetency.

21. What are the sources of stress for dance athletes?
4. Injury
A recent survey showed an upward
trend in injuries among dance athletes.
While many dancers recover from an
injury, some suffer injuries that force
them to retire early. The idea of getting
injured and not being able to recover or
completely stop from dancing increases
the anxiety level of dance athletes. An
injury, whether it is a mild or a severe
one, is a source of stress for dance
athletes