Ballet is a notoriously difficult art form. Dancers typically train for eight to ten years before debuting on a professional stage, and the physical demands are often compared to that of football. Indeed, mastering the technique, aesthetics, and form of ballet is a monumental task, and it’s no wonder that many dancers sustain injuries in pursuit of perfection. Perhaps the most physically taxing part of ballet is pointe technique. In this part of a classical ballet routine, a dancer must support their entire body weight only with the tips of their extended feet. Pointe shoes offer little protection against injury, but North Carolina dancer rehabilitation can offer recovery and treatment.
Setting Up a Pointe Preparedness Evaluation
If your ballet company incorporates point technique, you should ensure that en pointe dancers are physically fit for the task. Previously overlooked injuries and issues can quickly flare up when attempting a technique as challenging as pointe work. You can minimize the risk of injuries by setting up a pointe preparedness evaluation. This type of assessment focuses on detecting physical vulnerabilities. There are many common ballet injuries affecting the feet, including sprained ankles, stress fractures, and tendonitis. An assessment can diagnose and treat issues like these before they worsen.
If left unaddressed, these injuries can quickly cause physical deterioration that will prohibit any attempt at pointe work and likely prevent a dancer from performing in any capacity. Luckily, North Carolina new cutting edge physical therapy treatments offer effective and innovative remedies to many of the most common ballet injuries. A pointe preparedness assessment will determine whether a dancer is fit for pointe, or if an injury is detected, it will provide an opportunity for treatment and healing.
Avoiding Future Injuries
If a dancer is cleared to begin pointe work, a new set of risks emerge. Pointe work is famously physically demanding, and the pressure to carry one’s own body weight on the toes can easily lead to strains, sprains, and overextension. Thus, an important part of physical therapy is the development of an injury prevention plan. Working in conjunction with a licensed physical therapist, a ballet dancer can come up with some specific training exercises and techniques that will prepare the body for pointe work and prevent many of the most common causes of injury. This can help to strengthen a dancer’s body, too, for better performances on the stage.
Some of the most effective strategies for injury prevention include cross-training exercises such as those found in Pilates, yoga, biking, and strength training. These kinds of workouts serve to build stamina, strength, and endurance throughout the entire body, which mitigates the risk of injury while attempting strenuous techniques such as pointe work. Dancers in need of advice for further injury prevention can benefit from cutting edge physical therapy in North Carolina. If you want to prepare for pointe work and ensure that you shine on the stage, invest in physical therapy.
Whether you’re a professional dancer or simply a person in need of pain relief, physical therapy can help. Get the treatment you need and the results you seek.
