Physiotherapy For Dance Assessments
Our Dance Assessments along with Pre-Pointe Assessments are conducted to study stability, alignment and strength of a dancer. During dance assessments at our Townsville studio, we focus on identifying areas of concern that can hinder in your performance and treating your dance related injuries.
Dancers could be exposed to a wide range of risk factors for injury. The most common issues that cause dance injuries include:
- Type of dance and frequency of classes, rehearsals, and performances
- Duration of training
- Environmental conditions such as hard floors and cold studios
- Individual dancer’s body alignment
- Nutritional deficiencie
Who is at risk?
Across the whole spectrum of dance there is little doubt that the vast majority of injuries are the result of overuse rather than trauma.
The foot/ankle/lower leg area is vulnerable to a wide range of injuries, including stress fractures, tendon injuries, sprains, and strains. These injuries show up with greater frequency in dancers as they age, so it is extremely important to emphasize what the young dancer can do to prevent future injuries.
Changes throughout a dancer’s career
It is important for all dancers to understand their unique body type and the strengths and limitation it will present for their dancing life. There are important changes that occur throughout a dancer life, for example, when I start pointe work or how do I safely transition from class work to full time tertiary study.
Screening for potential injuries
The physiotherapy professional plays a significant role in not only treating and rehabilitating the injuries dancers incur, but also in preventing them.
Dancers respond well to medical providers who respect both the aesthetics and intensity of dance.
During dance assessments at our Townsville studio, we facilitate screening sessions for dancers to help identify potential problems and prevent future injuries. They should be considered a natural part of a dancer’s career and sources of insight into staying healthy.
