If there’s one thing dancers have in common, it’s that we are all
absolutely certifiably insane when it comes to injuries. An injury is our worst nightmare. We dread
them, we fear them, and many of us ignore them, hoping they will go
away. Ultimately, we work through them, but no matter what, we always obsess about them. Though
many of us can easily identify the difference between a major acute injury and those that are minor or
temporary, we still stress out over the very thought that we are injured… and this leads to obsessive
behavior.
Recently, my
left knee was acting up. It wasn’t an
acute injury, but something that had started slowly and intermittently. An
injury that creeps up like this is usually an RSI, or Repetitive Stress Injury,
something that occurs over a period of time, due to making certain movements over and over. I was
experiencing medial ( inner side of the
knee) pain, and I knew it was an RSI, because I dance every damn day. So I iced
it a bit and let it rest as much as I could.
But as the
nagging discomfort came and went, I went through a series of my own “diagnostic tests”. These included repeatedly standing with my full weight only on the injured leg, as well as going
into movements- without an adequate warm up, I might add- just to see if I could reproduce the odd
little pops, clicks and twinges of
pain that I was getting every so often
while I danced.
Let me tell you
right now that I am familiar with anatomy- as well as the way my own body feels when it’s working properly as opposed to being injured.
But my self-performed “diagnostics” were
not only invalid and uninformed as far as
real physical tests go, they were just plain stupid! And even though I knew
that, I just couldn’t stop my neurotic OCD behavior. It was like an oddly
satisfying nervous tick, kind of like when a little kid loses a tooth and is
completely preoccupied with poking their tongue into the raw, tender hole where
the tooth had been.
I discussed
this phenomenon with several friends, all of whom are seasoned performers
and instructors; other belly
dancers, ballet, jazz, hip hop,
burlesque and contemporary dancers, and
guess what?
They all do
the same thing!
Maybe it’s just
an intrinsic part of our dance-life mania, but it sure isn’t helping in any way,
shape or form. At best it causes discomfort; at worst, it can aggravate-and
prolong- the injury itself.
As
frustrating as it may be, you gotta let that injury rest! Quit “testing” it to see if the status has
changed in the past ten hours…or ten minutes.
As the Beatles said, “Let It Be”. It might be easier said than done, but
leaving your injury alone is probably the best thing you can do for it.
It’s absolutely vital to understand that you
need to baby your injury- at least for a while- if you want it to get better. It’s
much more prudent to cancel a few classes or gigs than try to flail your way through
your regular schedule while your injury is in full force. R.I.C.E or Rest, Ice, Compression and
Elevation are always good; you can ice and injury for fifteen or twenty minutes
every couple of hours to help the inflammation calm down. Over the counter NSAIDS
will also help with the pain as well as combatting inflammation.
In the meantime, during your recovery, you can work on any
areas of your body that aren't injured.
To stay conditioned, stretch and strengthen the rest of your body before
returning to your full-on schedule of rehearsals, classes and shows. The last
thing you want to do is impede your recovery by ignoring the advice of your
physicians and/or physical therapist…or by performing any dumb-ass “self diagnostics”.
There are many things you can do to keep learning and
to help you feel as though you are progressing, even if you can’t actually
dance yet. Ask your instructor(s) if you
can audit their dance classes- you can gain insight and learn technique just by
watching a class and taking notes. Watch dance videos; analyze the styles or
technique you are seeing, and observe more subtle things like stage presence,
emotional connection to the music, and the costuming the performing is wearing.
Once you’ve been passed the
acute phase of your injury, and with your doctor’s ok, you need to start rehab.
If you’ve been prescribed a course of physical therapy, attend the sessions
religiously, following your homework exercise regimen to the letter. You might
also try Pilates, which was actually designed as a strengthening program to
help dancers rehabilitate from injury. Make sure to find a certified instructor
and let them know how you are
injured. Start out simple, and basic- if
you’re feeling pain from any movements, don’t do them yet… and no matter what,
don’t push yourself too hard, because you certainly don't want to exacerbate
your injury. It’s better to err on the
side of caution. Walking is a terrific and low- impact aerobic way of keeping
fit, and often a brisk walk will lower your overall physical feelings of
discomfort.
If your injury has recovered
enough that you have the ability to dance- but aren’t quite at a hundred
percent, you will need to make necessary adjustments. However, you need to make sure that whatever you are
doing doesn’t throw your body out of alignment. For example, if you’re
still unable to completely put your full weight on one leg, do not assume that
you’ll be fine bearing all that weight on the other leg! It will only lead to
more problems. The more you “protect” the injured side, the more likely it will
be that you’ll sustain an injury on the side that’s working over-time.
Try to calm your inner dance-demons while you
are recovering, ok? Be grateful for your body’s healing capabilities, have faith
in your recovery process, and take the necessary time to recover fully before
you get back in the game.
Oh and please… No more
“testing”!
#
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