Injuries & Medical Problems of Dancers
| October 24th, 2011
I enjoy treating dance injuries despite the fact that I would twist my ankle attempting an arabesque or some of the kicks of Irish dance. My interest comes from involvement with youth and professional ballet dancers in training.
Dance has been described as a recreational activity, a professional activity, and an art form. It has been around since antiquity (despite the type of dance called ‘modern’) and is found in most cultures. Different types of dance include ballet, jazz, modern, ballroom, folk and aerobic.
There is limited research on dance injuries outside of ballet. Most dance injuries are of the lower extremity and back (except the wrist and hand, which is most involved in break dancing). Risk factors for injury include dancing on hard surfaces; shoe wear; and increased hours of training per day; years of dance; and performance level. Most injuries are soft tissue (non-bone) overuse injuries, although there are some unique injury patterns (such as posterior ankle pain with repetitive activities on the toes or ball of the foot, or the ‘dancer’s fracture’ of the outside of the foot).
Medical problems of dancers include eating disorders, menstrual disorders, decreased bone density and burnout.
At ThedaCare Orthopedics Plus we are well positioned to evaluate and treat dance injuries, and work with your primary provider’s office when necessary regarding dancer-specific medical problems.
Dr. Erica Kroncke is a licensed medical physician with added certification in primary care sports medicine. A graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Dr. Kroncke enjoys helping patients reach their full potential and enjoys working with them on improving their health and well-being. She has completed several research projects including safety equipment in extreme sports and the correlation with high risk behaviors in adolescents. As a former high school and college athlete, she uses her experiences to help athletes of all ages and abilities become as healthy as possible. For more information call 920-831-5050.
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