Dance and Gymnastics

Terspischorean - of or relating to Dance; trust me it's an ancient Greek thing, you wouldn't understand. 

Taping | Rehabilitation | Imagery | Media | Health

I am constantly learning. Of the things I have recently learned (past year or two) is that dancers and gymnasts are at once the most remarkable and frustrating group of individuals I treat. It is wonderful to have such motivated patients but desparingly difficult to rein them in sometimes. In an effort to bridge the gap of understanding between dancers and therapists I am compiling a base of information for dancers and parents to assist with rehabilitation efforts and injury prevention.

Physical Therapist to Dance Dictionary:

Physical Therapist	Dancer
Isometrics	stupid exercises I have to do until I dance
NWB Proprioceptive Activities	stupid exercises I have to do until I dance
resistive exercises	stupid exercises I have to do until I dance
flexibility activities	stupid exercises I have to do until I dance
Plyometrics	stupid exercises I have to do until I dance
Aerobic Conditioning	stupid exercises I have to do until I dance
Marking Positions	Not so stupid Exercises I have to do until I dance

Just kidding, but it seems like that sometimes.

Ballet Dictionary: This is a link to the ABT which has an awsome dictionary of ballet terms and videos of the defined movements. Please keep in mind that in order to pronounce most movements you must use a French accent like that of Jean Reno or the French Knight on top of the Grail Castle in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

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Ankle Taping Supplies

I suggest using 11/2" tape as well as pre-wrap and a spray adhesive to secure the pre-wrap. It is a good idea to buy in bulk as you will go through a lot of tape and prewrap just to learn how to properly wrap an ankle and even more once people know your good at it. A Dance Specifi video and written instructions are in the works for Inversion Ankle Sprains. However Until they are done these two videos demonstrate good technique. The first one is the best one to use for a symptomatic ankle sprain and if you have Elastikon Tape use it for the figure 8's and heel locks. I sometimes use the Mulligan technique under the more conventional wrap but never by itself.

Inversion Ankle Sprain Wrapping techniques:

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Basic Rehabilitation Programs

Ankle Sprain - The following Protocols are basic in nature so they can easily be accomplished at home. Acute |  SubAcute  |  Progressive Rehabiliation

Shin Splints - The term shin splints is a generic term that describes pain in the front of the lower leg. The general consensus is the majority of shin splints are a result of overuse or a chronic injury that involves the muscles, fascia or periostueum at muscular attachments. Shin splints fall into two general categories: 1) Anterior Shin Splints and 2) Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome. Radiographic examinations such as X-rays will generally be negative unless in later stages of a stress fracture. Yes, that's right, a stress fracture. Your going to tough it out right up to competition then be sidelined with a stress fracture, walking boot, the whole bit. So what do you do? Number one thing to do is DON'T PANIC. If you address the problem early enough you may not even need to stop dancing, hint hint. It is at this point the physical therapist part of me says communication with your dance instructors is critical all the while knowing they're the last ones your going to talk too because you don't want to be 1) perceived as a complainer 2) dropped from any numbers your in 3) stop dancing. So let me suggest this: 1) as you participate in class identify those routines or activities that aggravate you the most and mark positions in those routines to decrease stress  2) where possible wear tennis shoes to support the foot better  3) Start the very simple stretching program below  4) use R.I.C.E. rest, ice, compression, elevation after dance to help decrease inflammation and pain. 5) Last but not least consult a physical therapist if your pain has not gone away after 2 weeks, cause if it ain't gone away by itself in that period of time or is significantly better you need help. I found a forum written by a dancer who has had personal experience with this problem it is worth the read. I'm debating whether to demonstrate a taping job because if it works in all likelyhood the dancer will only dance more because it feels better rather than use it as a tool to promote quicker healing. Brigham and Women's Hospital has an excellent treatise on this condition.

Acute Shin Splint Program | Isometric Ankle Exercise |

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Dance Imagery

Lois Greenfield - an amazing dance photographer

Elazar Harel - Dance Companies  | Dancers

Angela Sterling - Phenom with a Nikon

Rosalie O'Connor - Dancer and Photographer, Amazing

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 Dance Media

THE WINGER - is a community oriented dance website that shows the lives, insights, and personalities of professionals, students, experts and pioneers in the dance world.

Dance Magazine- online magazine including blogs and videos

Dance USA - Dance/USA advances the art form of dance by addressing the needs, concerns and interests of the professional dance community (from their website).

Dancer Magazine - A very interesting online magazine that contains, articles, blogs, videos, pictures and all manner of things dance related. Interesting to me of course are some of my pictures of a local dance company submitted to the site.

Ascending Star Dance - an internet dance magazine which as chance would have it includes an article about the Harkness Center For Dance Medicine 

New York Times - Dance Page

Stiletto Entertainment - this is a group that hires for Holland America Cruise Lines, I thought it was interesting and I found it by following a blog link from a dancer that went to an audition in New York.

Muhlenburg College Department of Theatre and Dance - this school's faculty includes Gayanne Grossman PT, EdM who is one of the most prominent physical therapists in dance and dance rehabilitation research. Anyone needing a physical therapist near Allentown, PA would do well to seek her out.

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Dance Health Links 

Harkness Center For Dance Injuries - New York Facility that specializes in Dancers (Where Ron Studies)

International Association for Dance Medicine & Science - The International Association for Dance Medicine and Science was created to serve as a forum for education, promotion of research, and public service in the field of dance medicine and science. (Ron belongs to this organization)

Rudolph Nureyev Foundation- very dance specific information regarding health and dance.