7 Common Dance Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Dance requires incredible strength, stamina, and flexibility. Broadway and touring
performing artists dance an average of eight shows a week. Add to that, the countless hours in
rehearsals. Their exertion level rivals, if not exceeds, that of professional athletes! Therefore, it’s not
uncommon for dancers to experience pain.

Performing repetitive movements for hours a day coupled with a low amount of recovery
time in between shows, increases the performer’s risk for chronic overuse injuries (in addition to the
ever-present risk of an acute injury). In most cases, pain is due to muscle soreness that resolves in a
day or two. However, sometimes there is something more to blame—that’s when you should see a
physician or your physical therapist!

Here are some common dance injuries, including the pain associated, how to prevent and
how to treat them if it occurs:

1. ANKLE SPRAINS

Ankle sprains are the most common traumatic (or acute) injury in dancers. Most dancers will
experience their first sprain by age 13. This injury is caused by any movement that forces the ankle
outside of the normal range of motion, resulting in an overstretching or in tears to the ligaments of
the ankle.

1. Pain: acute onset with pain on the inside or outside of the ankle, swelling and bruising may
be present in more severe cases

2. Prevention: 4-way ankle exercises, hip strengthening

3. Treatment: RICE, joint protection, early mobility, physical therapy

4. PT is extremely important because the ligaments will never heal back to the pre-injury level.
Therefore, strength and motor control must be improved in order to avoid re-injury.

2. ACHILLES TENDONITIS

Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon in the back of the ankle that
connects the prime mover for pointing to your foot. As the Achilles is active during relevé
and pointing the foot, this overuse injury is quite common in dancers, especially those
utilizing improper technique or participating in excessive training.

1. Pain: gradual onset of pain and tenderness just above the heel which may feel better
when warmed up, but worse with jumping, relevé, or pointe work

2. Prevention: stretching your Achilles with your foot in parallel, quadriceps/hip/core

strengthening to decrease force absorption at the ankle
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