Dance related injuries

• An injury is tissue or organ damage due to mechanical trauma.
• The musculoskeletal structures commonly injured in a dancer are:

  muscles

  tendons

  ligaments

  bones

  joints
• The musculoskeletal structures are designed to absorb impact but a sudden change in the program or poorly performed technique, could result in forces that are beyond what these structures can handle.
• Enumerate the injury risk factors:

  • Poor body alignment and techniques
  • Excessive training duration and intensity
  • Hard dance floors
  • Poor shoe design
  • Muscle imbalance
• Excessive training and limited recovery impairs the ability to heal and repair damage tissues.
• Poor spinal alignment and low trunk stability can lead to uncoordinated movements which predispose an individual to injury.
• Intense 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 tissue and this predisposes the dancer to severe injuries.
• The floor is where dancers rehearse and perform.
• A hard floor does not help in dissipating the impact and returns the force to the dancers.
• The repetitive shock absorbed by the foot would eventually damage the foot or the parts of the lower extremity.
• Footwear is able to correct foot mechanics and reduce impact on the floor.
• A shoe that does not fit properly or has insufficient shock absorption will significantly contribute to injury risk.
• Muscle imbalance is an uncoordinated muscle action because of an uneven strength between muscle groups.
• Muscle imbalance is attributed to various factors such as anatomy, technique, and past injuries.
• Chronic injuries occur due to repetitive trauma and the body is not given enough time to recover.
• Acute injury occurs when the mechanical force that is absorbed by the musculoskeletal structure is more than what it is accustomed to.
• Chronic injury; Dull ache. Acute injury; visible dislocation or deformity.
• Chronic pain; is pain that persists, often months or even longer. Acute pain; is a sudden sensation that alerts us to possible injury.
• Enumerate the common ACUTE dance injuries:

  • Ankle sprain
  • Dancer's fracture
  • Back strain
  • ACL tear
  • Forearm fracture
• Enumerate injury prevention.

  • Programmed exercise and training
  • Adequate recovery
  • Appropriate environment
  • proper footwear
  • Proper warm-up and technique
  • Cross training
  • Early recognition
• Identify.

  A) Sudden movement of the turnk

  B) Pain and stiffness in the low back

  C) Proper posture and technique

  D) Twist the knee after jump

  E) Pain and weakness in the front of the knee

  F) Execrcise that strengthen the knee and improve balance

  G) Falls on an outstretched arm

  H) Pain and deformity near the wrist

  I) Fall on the side of the buttocks

  
• Identify.

  A) Twist the knee after a jump

  B) Pain at the side of the ankle

  C) Exercise that strengthen the ankle and improve balance

  D) Twist the foot when turning

  E) Pain at the outer part of the foot

  F) Exercise that strengthen the foot and improve balance

  
• Identify.

  A) Muscle imbalance

  B) Pain at the side of the knee

  C) Strengthening and flexibility exercises

  D) Poor foot mechanics and hard dance floor

  E) Pain at the sole when they take a step after sleeping

  F) Proper technique and footwear

  G) Prolonged repetitive loading

  H) Pain that worsen overtime

  I) Adequate rest

  
• Identify.

  A) Prolonged repetitive loading

  B) Pain at the front of the leg

  C) Adequate rest

  D) Excessive training

  E) Pain near the heel in the morning

  F) Adequate rest

  
• Identify.

  A) Protect

  B) Rest

  C) Ice

  D) Compress

  E) Elevate

  
• The first aid procedure for fractures and dislocations.

  Immobilization
• Enumerate.

  A) Rigid splint

  B) Soft splint

  C) Anatomical immobilization

  
• A coordinated response of the body to the injury and it is the first step of healing and recover.

  Inflammation
• The role of the first responder is to recognize the location of injury, type of injury, severity of injury, and appropriate first aid procedure.
• Secondary survey would help identify if the tissue that was damaged were bone/joints or soft tissues (muscle, ligament, tendon).