Damage Control
Expert advice on how to safely integrate injured students back into class
Summer will soon be over, with some of your students returning fresh from dance intensives and some who haven’t done a plié since May. You hope all come back feeling stronger and ready to dig into the new year. But what if they don’t? It’s not uncommon to discover that a few dancers have injured themselves from overuse or tweaked their ankle during the break and need special attention as class begins. Read on to find out how to help these students get back into class.
Review the basics.
After suffering an injury or even a break from dance, it is most important to focus on alignment and the basic foundational movements. Make the combinations simple for the first few classes so students can focus more on technique rather than remembering a complex phrase. (Your other students will also appreciate the opportunity to brush up on the basics!) Dancers need to understand that while the body is designed for movement, the more anatomically aligned they are, the easier it will be for their bodies to move without discomfort. But remind them not to push too much as they stretch and elongate muscles that may have stiffened up.
Most importantly, stress that listening to their bodies is key, but it is a skill that will develop over time. Any pain or discomfort is a message that should always be listened to. These messages are even more crucial after an injury, because they indicate whether or not the dancer is moving toward a safe recovery. For example, if they experience pain in a knee during a demi plié, have them decrease their turnout or focus on how the weight is placed on the foot. When rehabilitating, it’s always best to prevent further injury through good technique.
Slowly rebuild muscle balance.
During the first weeks of class, students need to work on rebuilding their strength and flexibility, as the balance between both is key to injury prevention and injury rehabilitation. (Don’t assume all will pick up where they left off before the summer.) Dancers will feel some soreness as they transition back into moving the body, so urge them to stay hydrated. Even being slightly dehydrated can influence their focus and increase physical fatigue, along with muscular discomfort. (See sidebar for strength-training principles to guide students to a healthy recovery, below.)
Don’t play doctor.
It’s essential to be up-to-date and informed about your dancers’ physical health at all times. Ask students (injured and non-injured) to fill out a brief evaluation at the beginning of the year. Create a one-page form that outlines the body and have them place an “X” on the previously and/or currently injured areas, then briefly describe the symptoms. Dancers are notorious for denying discomfort as anything but a normal part of their lives. If there are any questions in your mind as to why a student is still feeling pain or discomfort, send them to a physician or physical therapist for an examination.
For more significant injuries such as tendonitis, sprains or stress fractures, make sure to have a physician’s permission before the student returns to the first day of class. Coming back too quickly from any injury often means a longer rehab time, so don’t make the mistake of being the medical expert when it comes to your dancers’ bodies.
Encourage positive recovery.
During the recovery period, there may be certain portions of class that a student cannot physically participate in. Have them visualize the exercise instead. Encourage them to learn by first watching it and then internalizing the mental images. Since the brain doesn’t recognize the difference between reality and imagination, dancers are still turning on the body’s neurological patterning when they mentally rehearse exercises. The path of movement starts in the brain with an image, then the nervous system sends the message to the muscles, which contract and create movement. To get the most out of visualizations, ask students to use all five senses while they imagine themselves dancing with strength and ease. If they can remember a combination through their mind’s eye, they will be able to re-create it more successfully the next time they perform.
As teachers, we set the stage for our students’ successful return to dancing after an injury by our attitude and guidance. Dance is an extremely physical artform and injuries will happen, but they shouldn’t be seen as failure on the student’s part. It doesn’t matter if they’re caused by an accidental landing or from inefficient muscle patterning; injuries can be an opportunity to become a stronger dancer in the long run. In the meantime, do your best to keep students’ spirits up and properly guide them to a safe recovery. DT
FOLLOW these strength-training principles to guide students to a healthy return:
Overload: A muscle can only be strengthened if it is gradually worked beyond its current threshold. This can be done in a variety of ways: Increase the frequency, duration or intensity of the exercise program. For instance, if a student sprained her ankle over the break, have her do a set of 10 single leg relevés three times a day (frequency). Then, increase the amount of relevés completed, allowing the fatigue of the calves to determine the set number (duration). They could also do a set of relevés and add in a jumping combination (intensity), being careful not to strain the muscles.
Specificity: This principle states that the way a muscle should be strengthened is to include movements that are inherent to the activity. Strengthening the calves with a Thera-Band is good cross-training, but it doesn’t replace just doing relevés. By using Thera-Bands, however, students will develop more muscle strength by isolating the specific muscle group and controlling the amount of force applied. And with this increased strength, they can safely increase the number of relevés done with fouetté turns or improve their ability to jump repeatedly.
Reversibility: Dancers lose muscle strength rapidly when they stop training (such as being off for three months in the summer), unless there are other cross-training activities that will help maintain it. Having some time off from dance is all right, but make sure to replace it with another activity to avoid losing muscle tone.
Neuromuscular educator Deborah Vogel co-founded the Center for Dance Medicine in New York City and writes the Dancing Smart newsletter at www.thebodyseries.com.
Photo by Nathan Sayers
