DANCE INJURIES

HALLUX VALGUS

CAUSES

• Commonly known as bunions
• Affects a dancers feet
• develops when the pressures of bearing and shifting your weight fall unevenly on the joints and tendons in your feet
• This imbalance in pressure makes your big toe joint unstable, eventually molding the parts of the joint into a hard knob that juts out beyond the normal shape of your foot

SYMPTOMS

• A bulging bump on the outside of the base of your big toe
• Swelling, redness or soreness around your big toe joint Thickening of the skin at the base of your big toe Corns or calluses — these often develop where the first and second toes overlap Persistent or intermittent pain Restricted movement of your big toe

TREATMENT

• Conservative treatment: Changing shoes. Wear roomy, comfortable shoes that provide plenty of space for your toes. Padding and taping or splinting. Doctor can help you tape and pad your foot in a normal position- reduce stress on the bunion and alleviate your pain. Applying ice. Icing after you've been on your feet too long can help relieve soreness and inflammation.

Untitled Slide

• Surgical treatment: Removing the swollen tissue from around your big toe joint.vStraightening your big toe by removing part of the bone Realigning the long bone between the back part of your foot and your big toe, to straighten out the abnormal angle in the toe joint. Joining the bones of your affected joint permanently

PREVENTION

• Preventing bunions includes wearing correct shoe size, using correct technique (distributing weight properly)

PATELLAR TENDONITIS

CAUSES

• Commonly known as 'jumper's knee'
• Caused from the constant bounding and jumping motions weakening and inflaming the tendon connecting the patella to the tibia
• An overuse injury that weakens the patellar tendon

SYMPTOMS

• Pain is the first and most obvious symptom- between the patella and the tibia
• Swelling and redness around the joint to indicate inflammation of the tendon
• Some restricted movement due to the pain and swelling

TREATMENT

• Doctors use less invasive methods of treatment before turning to surgery
• A variety of therapy can be used to help reduce symptoms. For example, stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, patellar tendon strap
• Surgery- only done in rare cases to repair the tendon

PREVENTION

• Rest your knee whenever you start to detect pain, don't continue your exercise
• Strengthen your muscles will help manage the pressures and strains that go onto your knee
• Improve your technique to ensure you are using your body and joints correctly

SPRAIN/ STRAIN

CAUSES

• A sprain occurs when you overextend or tear a ligament while severely stressing a joint. Sprains often occur in the following circumstances:
• Ankle — Walking or exercising on an uneven surface Knee — Pivoting during an athletic activity Wrist — Landing on an outstretched hand during a fall

SYMPTOMS

• A sprain:
• Pain Swelling Bruising Limited ability to move the affected joint At the time of injury, you may hear or feel a 'click' in your joint

CAUSES

• There are two types of strains- acute or chronic
• An acute strain is when a muscle becomes strained or pulled or may even tear (slipping on ice)
• A chronic strain is caused by prolonged repetitive movement of a muscle

SYMPTOMS

• A strain:
• Pain Swelling Muscle spasms Limited ability to move the affected muscle

TREATMENT

• Treating a sprain/ strain depends on the location of the injury/ the joint involved and the severity of the sprain
• Mild sprain/ strain= over the counter pain relief
• Moderate sprain/ strain= ice the joint
• Serious sprain/ strain= brace/ splint/ cast to stabilise the joint for recovery

PREVENTION

• Participate in a conditioning programme in order to develop and strengthen muscles and reduce the change of going over on your joints or spraining or straining them in any way

PLANTAR FACITIS

CAUSES

• One of the common causes of heal pain and is the inflammation of the plantar fascia which is under the foot
• Caused when small tears appear in the plantar fascia under the foot

SYMPTOMS

• Typically causes a stabbing pain in your heal at the bottom of your foot
• Pain is worse within the first few steps of awakening but then will ease off as the tendon becomes more elasticated and warm

TREATMENT

• Most patients can recover using methods such as therapy and the use of night splints in just a few months
• Physical therapy exercises can be done to strengthen the plantar fascia and to develop the lower leg muscles
• Another method is through the use of orthotics- special foot padding or insoles to help even the distribution of pressures in the feet
• Surgery can also be used as another method but only in extreme cases

PREVENTION

• No preventative measures can really be taken

SHIN SPLINTS

CAUSES

• Shin splints are caused by repetitive stress on the tibia and the connective tissue that connect the muscles to the bone

SYMPTOMS

• Tenderness, soreness, and pain along the inner part of your lower leg
• Slight swelling to your lower leg
• At first the pain may stop and start but eventually can become continuous

TREATMENT

• Most cases- treat shin splints with simple self care steps
• Rest- avoid high impact and intensity exercises that will maximise the pressure put into the shin
• Ice the affected area to reduce swelling
• Use over the counter pain relief

PREVENTION

• Wear the correct shoes to help with the Wright distribution onto your lower legs and feet
• Wear arch supports if you have flat feet
• Lessen the impact of your training with exercises that don't require bunch impact on the shins
• Strengthen your muscles in your lower legs (gastrocnemius)

THANK YOU