Injury Prevention and Management for Dancers

Dancers represent a unique athletic population. They can often be required to perform a variety of shows of differing intensity and styles: professional ballet dancers may perform up to 150 shows a year, across 18 different productions. The dynamic and demanding nature of dance can, however, lead to injury, making injury prevention and management a vital part of dance training. Drawing on research and knowledge from both sports and dance medicine, this book will provide dance and healthcare professionals with a fundamental understanding of dance terminology, physiology, and movement requirements, and how these relate to specific injuries commonly sustained in dance. Proposed models and structures of pathology-specific rehabilitation and usable examples are illustrated with step-by-step photographs and anatomical diagrams, as well as case studies for common injuries. Training programs, conditioning exercises, and advice are supported by findings from contemporary medical literature to ensure an informed, conclusive, and evidence-based approach to the healthcare of dancers. Chapters cover a range of issues including the unique challenges seen in dance and how they differ from other athletic populations; physical preparation and conditioning for dance; injury prevention, tracking, and management models; and an exploration of the regional anatomical injuries commonly seen in dance. Structured rehabilitation and detailed exercise programs are covered and dance criteria for musculoskeletal injuries, concussion, and post-surgery are discussed.