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Ballroom Dance Resource - Articles on Dancing A good article with respect to avoiding injury; good medical detail.~ by Dan Lehnberg Dancers As Athletes by Dan Lehnberg From a sports medicine doctor's point of view, competition Ballroom dancing has become a sport and the competitors are now athletes. Elite dancers have reached higher levels of physical condition then ever before. For most of you reading this article, this comes as no surprise. As we look at the evolution of most sport we see that as the sport grows so does the level of competition. And with this increased level in competition come advances in training methods and a heighten awareness for the prevention of dance related injury. A survey administered by Ms. Christine Zona found that dancers are utilizing a variety of tools to augment their dance. Although the sample size was small the results speak for themselves and demonstrate a shift in training approach. In Ms. Zona's survey she found that 33% of those surveyed use weight training and 26% use Pilates as ways of augmenting their training sessions. 36 % of the respondents trained/practiced three or more days per week. The training practices above don't sound that much different than that of other athletes I see in my practice. Granted, the forces applied to the body in dance may not be as extreme as the forces we experience in running or tennis, but the conclusions remain parallel: proper technique, the importance of solid biomechanics (the way the body moves based on anatomical structural design), and the risk of overuse injuries play an enormous role. In a sense the three work off one another; when proper technique is built upon solid biomechanics, the risk of overuse injury decreases. When we augment this concept with weight training, core training, or Pilates; technique improves, biomechanics become more solid and the risk of injury decreases even more. Doesn't this make sense with dance? How often do you hear the words "find your center" "lead from your center", center...center... center! Your center is your core and from the core (center) everything happens. Watch any elite athlete and you'll see that they function from the center as well; they just don't call it the same thing. They know it as "athletic posture." From this posture you can respond quickly in any direction and isn't ballroom dance a multidirectional sport. Most of the back, neck and knee injuries I see with dancers can be traced back to poor athletic posture and /or core weakness. Developing athletic posture and then strengthening the core to better maintain that posture resolves most of these injuries. If you've already incorporated core training into your dance, congratulations, if you haven't, what are you wai~ting for? When looking for a trainer to help with this make sure they understand core training and athletic posture and have had training specific in core. As mentioned before the training needs to be multidirectional and not just linear. A good core program will incorporate proprioception training as well. Proprioception is how our body responds to the spatial environment. In other words how our body reacts in terms of balance and coordination (kind of important with dance). Proprioceptors are nerve endings located throughout the body and are in abundance in the arms/hands and legs/feet. When we move in a coordinated or uncoordinated manner these receptors communicate subconsciously with the appropriate joint stabilizers (postural muscles) to produce corrective measures thus ensuring stable movement. Proprioceptors can be trained to respond quickly and efficiently. In fact, it is imperative that this type of training be implemented following an injury of the leg/foot. These receptors become inhibited or delayed if you will and can lead to recurring injury. We all know someone who has a "weak" ankle and seems to be prone to re-injury. Most of these cases can be traced back to insufficient rehabilitation that lacked proprioceptive type training. Weather you aspire to be the best or to maintain recreational status; I guarantee that developing an athletic posture and core strength will bring you great results and more enjoyment. You'll perform stronger and appear to flow effortlessly all the while decreasing your risk of injury. (Dr. Lehnberg maintains a chiropractic sports medicine and rehab practice in Torrance, Ca. Questions and comments are welcome and can be directed to dan.lehnbergdc@verizon.net) |
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