Overuse injuries, (as opposed to acute traumatic events) are the most common mechanism for injury in dance, accounting for 68% in females and 60% in males. (Allen, 2012)
Therefore the strength and conditioning plan should focus on strengthening the affected structures without exposing them to undue repetitions so as not to exacerbate this effect. (Allen, 2012) Lower back strain is the single most common complaint of ballet dancers (40% exhibited it in one study), followed by ankle sprains and thoracic strains. Lordotic positioning and fatigue during lifts likely account for much of the lumbar strain in male dancers. (Ramkumar, 2016) Other common injuries include knee injuries, often caused by an overload on the hamstrings, such as when landing from a jump in full plantarflexion. (Bowerman, 2015) In addition, knee injury is often linked to limited hip extension leading to excess tibial torsion when the dancer attempts to force turnout from the knee or ankle. Exaggerated lumbar lordosis (and therefore increased risk for lumbar strain or low back pain) may also come into play to compensate for inadequate turnout as well. (Coplan, 2002) …show more content…
For instance, male dancers must have strength in his upper body to lift a ballerina over his head, (fig. 1) while the muscles and ligaments of the ankles and feet of ballerinas must be strong enough to support the entire bodyweight en pointe. The power to leap across the floor in a grand jete` (fig. 2) or the endurance to hold oneself in an arabesque and dance entire productions without tiring (fatigue leads to a breakdown of technique and increased risk for injury) are critical for any ballet dancer to possess. Both the aerobic and anaerobic systems are implicated in ballet classes and performance. (Rafferty,
Therefore the strength and conditioning plan should focus on strengthening the affected structures without exposing them to undue repetitions so as not to exacerbate this effect. (Allen, 2012) Lower back strain is the single most common complaint of ballet dancers (40% exhibited it in one study), followed by ankle sprains and thoracic strains. Lordotic positioning and fatigue during lifts likely account for much of the lumbar strain in male dancers. (Ramkumar, 2016) Other common injuries include knee injuries, often caused by an overload on the hamstrings, such as when landing from a jump in full plantarflexion. (Bowerman, 2015) In addition, knee injury is often linked to limited hip extension leading to excess tibial torsion when the dancer attempts to force turnout from the knee or ankle. Exaggerated lumbar lordosis (and therefore increased risk for lumbar strain or low back pain) may also come into play to compensate for inadequate turnout as well. (Coplan, 2002) …show more content…
For instance, male dancers must have strength in his upper body to lift a ballerina over his head, (fig. 1) while the muscles and ligaments of the ankles and feet of ballerinas must be strong enough to support the entire bodyweight en pointe. The power to leap across the floor in a grand jete` (fig. 2) or the endurance to hold oneself in an arabesque and dance entire productions without tiring (fatigue leads to a breakdown of technique and increased risk for injury) are critical for any ballet dancer to possess. Both the aerobic and anaerobic systems are implicated in ballet classes and performance. (Rafferty,