When it comes to injuries, dancers often think of overuse issues­, like stress fractures, or more acute injuries, like a sprained ankle. But this year’s International Association for Dance Medicine & Science conference shed light on an often overlooked aspect of a dance career: occupational health hazards. The 35th annual IADMS conference, in Las Vegas […]

Tara Rynders has always associated dance with healing. While navigating a tumultuous childhood that often required her to care for her siblings, she found refuge in the studio. And when her sister lost her speech after developing acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare inflammatory disease of the brain and spinal cord, Rynders used dance as a […]

No matter what, Maggie Carey knows that at the start of every season, her calves and toenails are going to be in pain. “It’s usually a pretty brutal week,” the Smuin Contemporary Ballet dancer admits. As much as she tries to gird herself ahead of time or “baby” her body with ice and foam rolling, […]

Asthma has always been part of life for competitive Irish dancer Mia Fritsch-Anderson. But it’s been a process for her to learn to manage the condition. “When I was little, I was in the hospital almost six times every winter. It was very serious,” she says. Now, Fritsch-Anderson says the condition does not inhibit the […]

Creative costumes are like moving sculptures, seamlessly blending with sets and lighting to help dancers and choreographers bring another world to life onstage. But they can bring challenges, too. Physical therapist Giovanna Salerno, PT, DPT, OCS, says that she’s worked with several patients whose ailments can be traced to costumes. “You’re having to perform and […]

When interventional spine doctor and Kuchipudi dancer Pranamya Suri was doing her medical residency, she had less time to dance than usual. When she did get the chance to practice, she noticed a persistent pain developing around and behind her kneecap. Suri identified this pain as a warning sign of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and […]

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of thick tissue on the bottom of the foot called plantar fascia. It often shows up in dancers as pain in the heel, especially when doing weight-bearing exercise. Metzl notes that it’s often most painful first thing in the morning, and symptoms can ebb and flow throughout the day.

Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome, refers to “pain in the muscles on the front of the lower leg, below the knee and along the shin bone,” says Joshua Honrado, DAT, an athletic trainer who works with dancers at NYU Langone’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries. Dancers are particularly prone to shin splints, especially when they experience a sudden increase in rehearsals or performances, such as during Nutcracker season.