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georgiia

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Dance Resources
« on: September 25, 2017, 06:00:23 pm »
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MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT TEAR

Spoiler
Description
The medial collateral ligament is one of four stabilising ligaments found in the knee that prevents knee movement from side to side by attaching the femur or thigh bone, to the tibia or shinbone, on the inside part of the leg. A tear in the region is a common dance injury due to the many turns and jumps which are performed in most dance classes or works. This is a direct injury meaning that an external force was applied to the body to cause the injury at the point of impact.

Causes
The medial collateral ligament tear occurs when the lower leg twists or bends out too far. It can be torn as a result of trauma from twisting, jumping, or turning. This places tension on the medial collateral ligament; a rope-like band, causing it to stretch or snap in half. If a grand jeté is not followed by a correctly executed landing on the ball of the foot first, followed by a pile with the knee bending directly over and in line with the toes, this injury may easily occur.

Symptoms
A popping sound upon injury, when landing after the grand jeté
Pain or tenderness along the inner part of the knee
Swelling of the knee joint
Inability to use the full range of motion in the knee
Instability
Feeling as if the knee is going to give out when weight is distributed onto it
Locking of the knee joint
Pain when touching the inside part of the joint surface

Treatment
Depending on how traumatic the landing after the grand jeté was, the severity of the medial collateral ligament tear will vary. These range from stretching of the tissue, to a complete rupture of the ligament. Most medial collateral ligament tears can be easily treated through rest from activity, ice, and anti-inflammatory medications. For more serious cases of this injury were prolonged pain exceeds a number of days, treatment by a chiropractor or physical therapist is recommended in order to strengthen the knee and prepare for return to class and rehearsals.

Prevention
The best form of prevention for this type of injury is to understand how to safely and correctly land after a jump. Landing safely after a grand jeté allows the dancer to absorb shock through the hip, knee and ankle joints during the landing. The aim is to land gently through the balls of the foot followed by transferring the impact forces first to the gluteus muscles, and then the hamstrings, quads, and calf muscles. It is crucial to note that the dancer must always properly warm up before class. Warm muscles and tendons are less likely to become inflamed and injured under repeated stress.

HAMSTRING TEAR

Spoiler
When you extend your leg and the hip is flexed, this pulls on the hamstrings found under the leg. The higher your leg is lifted, the more stress is put onto the hamstring muscles as they stretch backwards. Too much stretch can cause a tear of the hamstring.

Causes
The causes for this type of injury include tight hip flexors and quads meaning that increased tension is placed on the hamstrings as the leg battements upwards making it vulnerable to injury, improper warm up before dancing and rapid overstretch of the hamstring such as throwing the leg upwards past your bodily capabilities while not having the abdominal strength or hip rotation to support the leg.

Symptoms
A dancer experiencing a hamstring tear may feel a tightness or tender ache in the hamstring. Common symptoms of a hamstring strains include sudden and severe pain during exercise along with a snapping or popping feeling, pain in the back of the thigh and lower buttock when walking, straightening the leg or bending over, hamstring tenderness and bruising.

Treatment
Fortunately, the pain caused by a tear in the hamstring will usually ease down and start to feel better after a few days. It is although very common for dancers to once they start feeling better, forget about the injury altogether and begin dancing and working the leg as if the tear never occurred. After an injury it is crucial for proper rehabilitation procedures to be followed as otherwise the dancer will find themselves at a very high risk of re-injuring the same muscle and possibly even worse.
The most common method of treatment recommended for hamstring tears is physiotherapy treatment. Through prescribed exercises and stretches/movements targeting particular areas of the hamstring muscle, physiotherapy treatment will aim to:
Reduce hamstring pain and inflammation
Normalise the muscular range of motion and extensibility
Strengthen the knee muscles and hamstrings
Strengthen the lower limb muscles e.g calves, hip and pelvis muscles
Normalise lumbo-pelvic control and stability
Improve technique and function e.g jumping and landing in a painless, resisted plié
Minimise any chance of hamstring re-injury

Prevention
 Four strategies a dancer should use to prevent the occurrence of this injury are to
Never stretch when the body is cold. The reason for this is that when a muscle is held in a sustained stretch, the load is often pressured into weakest part of the muscle putting it at risk of injury. When muscles are not warmed up properly there is inadequate blood flow to the area because they are cold. Lack of flexibility and softness within the muscle can easily lead to the hamstrings being pushed beyond their length-tension capabilities.
Strengthening the gluteal muscles will decrease chance of a tear in the hamstring. The gluteal muscles often work together with the hamstring muscles such as in the grande battement devon, and if the gluteal muscles are weak the hamstrings will overcompensate, work beyond its capabilities and become more susceptible to injury.
Improving the flexibility in the hamstrings will assist in limiting chances of a pull or strain in the hamstring. Hamstring tightness is measured by flexing the hip as far as possible (laying flat on the back, raise the straight leg up). A normal range of motion for this movement is a minimum of 80 degrees at the hip (just short of a right angle). Movement less than this indicates tight hamstring muscles. Practising and regularly repeating the lunge exercise with the knee to the ground detailed above will help to keep the hamstrings long, loose and supple.
Being physically ready for training and dance class means that you have given your body the right nutrients and liquids it needs to be able to maximise performance ability and minimise injury. By intaking a healthy, balanced meal your muscles will have the ability to sustain their strength. If your body is deprived of the nutrients that it needs then your muscles will rapidly weaken and fatigue, easily allowing for a sharp tear in the hamstring when performing a grand battement. This is as the muscle will be forced beyond its capabilities in its weekend state. Eating well before and after class will make you focused and your muscles strong and ready for grand battements.

ACHILLES TENDONITIS

Spoiler
This tendon is the muscle in the heel bone. These muscles allow you to get up on releve when performing a pirouette. If used too much, inflammation and other factors can disturb the tendon and cause pain and swelling.

Causes
Overuse
Stepping up your level of physical activity too quickly
Spending increased amount of time on demi-point
Can result from flat feet, also known as fallen arches or overpronation. In this condition the impact of a step causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons.
Muscles or tendons in the leg that are too tight


Symptoms
Pain along the back of your foot and above your heel, especially when stretching your ankle or standing on your toes.
Tenderness
Swelling
Stiffness
Hearing a snapping or popping noise during the injury
Difficulty flexing your foot or pointing your toes in severe cases

Treatment
Achilles tendon injuries usually heal on their own with time. The most successful and efficient treatment method is RICER:
  Rest   Avoid putting weight on your leg as best you can.
  Ice   To reduce pain and swelling, ice your injury for 20 to 30 minutes every three to four hours for    two to three days or till the pain is gone.
  Compress   Use an elastic bandage around the lower leg and ankle to keep down swelling.
  Elevate   Prop you leg up on a pillow when you're sitting or lying down.
Practice stretching and strengthening exercises   recommended by a physiotherapist   specialised with dance injury.

Prevention
Dancers with improper technique are more likely to develop injuries, including Achilles tendonitis. Make sure that when executing a pirouette, the ankle sites in proper alignment and neither pronates nor supinates. Hard, unsprung floors, raked stages, and cold temperatures are all risk factors for Achilles tendonitis. Also, shoes and ribbons that are too tight place unwanted stress on the tendon and can exacerbate tendonitis.
Be mindful of your technique. Always remember to press down your heels when landing from jumps/returning from grand plié. 
Don’t force turnout or over-pronate.
Make sure your shoes are fitted properly and aren’t pinching the back of your heel.
Always warm up before class. Warm muscles and tendons are less likely to become inflamed and injured under repeated stress
Increase your flexibility by performing a calf stretch (when properly warmed-up or after class), or using an angled stretch box, and prevent shortening of the tendon by always rising to your highest relèvé.

CORE PERFORMANCE DEFINITIONS

Spoiler
Here's all you need to know definition-wise for core performance (you need examples form your dance too). I'm uploading these here because when I did my HSC Dance there was NOTHING online so just sharing for others in the same position :)

Body skills
Body awareness
My control of energy, force and weight when I performance movement, to allow me to execute a particular skill relative to my body type.

Principles of alignment/body placement
The arrangement of muscles and bones in relation to the line of gravity and base of support. Gives maximum function with minimum energy, which is an efficient use of the body and prevents injury.
The plumb-line seen in profile follows through ear, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, toe.

Body articulation
Movement of the body that is clearly coordinated and differentiated. Isolating and combining individual body parts to communicate a desired intent.

Axial movement
Stationary movement around my body’s axis.
When facing the back-right corner and arm swooshes behind then reaches forward.

Locomotor movement
Movement which travels through space and involves a change of location of the body in space.
Pose’ pirouettes
Coupé temps leve sequence

Turns
Rotational movement around my body’s axis. The effectiveness of a turn is dictated by alignment, line of gravity, centre of gravity and base of support.
Pose’ pirouettes

Falls
A controlled collapse to the floor.
Arabesque into kneeling

Balance
The ability to maintain the centre of gravity of the body while minimising postural sway. This is achieved through transferring and shifting your weight.
Adagé phrase

Control
The ability to maintain strength and stability so that movements may be performed with precision.
Adagé phrase

Elevation
The ability to propel the body into and through space using the preparation and landing technique, giving the appearance of remaining suspended at the apex of the jump.
Coupé temps leve sequence

Kinaesthetic awareness
Feelings and sensations of the body’s muscles, joints and tendons while in motion or in stillness.
This awareness is produced by the receptors in muscles and joints sending information to the brain about where my body is placed. Ways that I train me kinaesthetic awareness involve:
teacher feedback
mirror
videoing
feeling, memory of motion though my neuromuscular coordination

Warm-up/cool-down
The purpose of a warm-up is to mentally and physically prepare the body for increased exertion, increasing the internal temperature which allows the muscles, joints, and the nervous system to work more efficiently. This will also prevent injury that could occur from a range of movements.
A warm-up should raise the pulse rate and get blood flowing more extensively into the major muscle groups.
Aerobic activities involving the cardio-vascular system are highly appropriate for a warmup.
The aim of a warm-up is to increase the heart rate to 120 beats per minute.
Muscles become warmer and pliable due to the increase in the flow of blood.
Warming-up reduces muscle soreness.
The benefits of a warm-up are gone after 45minutes rest.

Stretching
Dynamic: consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you to the limits of your range of motion, with no bouncing or jerking. This type of stretching improves dynamic flexibility and is useful as part of your warm-up.
Isometric: involves the resistance of muscle groups through (isometric contractions) tensing stretched muscles. Isometric stretching is one of the fastest ways to increase flexibility and is much more effective than either passive stretching or active stretching alone.
Active: is one where you hold a position using the strength of your agonist muscles.
Passive: is one where you hold a position with part of your body, or with help from a partner or equipment.

Alignment
The arrangement of muscles and bones in relation to the line of gravity and base of support to produce maximum potential movement and to prevent injury.
The plumb-line, seen in profile, follows through ear, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, toe.
Gives maximum function with minimum energy, which is an efficient use of the body.
Aids in improvement of technique.
Can reduce injury.

Postural awareness: I need to be aware of the curvature of my spine so that I do not put strain on my lumber spine but instead that my sternum and the centre of my pelvis are in alignment (this also engages my core). I should be aware of the placement of my shoulders so that they do not roll forwards and curve but instead maintain an open chest.

Body awareness
Having control of energy, force and weight in the performance of movement so that you may execute a particular skill relative to your body type.

Body limitations
An awareness of your own personal capabilities and using these capabilities to your advantage. Also, knowing your shortcomings and establishing a set of skills for these to be improved.

IDEAS FOR CHOREOGRAPHY

Spoiler
Betrayal

Body Systems

Childhood

Circus

Claustrophobia

Confusion

Cycle of Life

Discrimination/Alienation

Do relationships change with time?

Environment/Eco-systems/Rainforests

Epicentre

Everyday Routine/Monotony

Fireworks/Sparklers

Flamenco/Spanish/Bull Fight

Games as a stimulus – noughts and crosses, chess, etc

Guardian Angels

Heaven and Hell

Hindu God Ganesh/Indian Hand Gestures

Influences on a Teenage Mind/Feeling pulled in different directions

Insomnia

Isolation/Rejection

Journey through Life

Machines

Magnetism

Memoirs of a Geisha

Metamorphosis – transformation

Midnight Horror/Nightmares

Mood Swings

Mother and Daughter Relationship

Night and Day

Not seen the same as everyone else/Trying to fit in

Opposites/Love and Hate

Parallel Lives

Racism

Religious themes

Romeo and Juliet

Sacrifice

Schizophrenia/Split personality

Self-conscious

Seven Deadly Sins

Shopping

Social Anxiety Disorder, shyness, isolation

Star signs – Gemini

The City

The Sea/Ocean/Lost at Sea

Toys/Dolls coming to life

Trapped

Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd

War/Army/Military

Weather, Storms, Natural Disasters


Paintings, postcards, sculptures, newspaper articles, diary entries, poems, movements, textures, films, nursery rhymes, myths and legends, fairy tales, music, everyday sounds, etc.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2017, 06:25:23 pm by jamonwindeyer »

jamonwindeyer

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Re: Dance Resources
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2017, 06:27:52 pm »
0
Merged your posts and stickied - Thanks for the awesome contributions Georgia! ;D

K888

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Re: Dance Resources
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2017, 07:53:54 pm »
+7
Hi there! Just a physio student weighing in, because some of this information isn't super accurate :) I also want to stress that as a high school/university forum, we're not here to provide medical advice - if people believe they are suffering from injuries or health problems, they should seek the advice of a physiotherapist, GP or the like.

This is gonna be pretty long, and I apologise in advance if I geek out, so I've put stuff in spoilers. Happy to clarify if anything doesn't make sense.

Just to echo Jamon, though - thanks for the awesome contribution! :D

Achilles tendinopathy
First off, the Achilles tendon is not a muscle - it is the common tendon that connects the "calf" muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the calcaneus (heel bone). The calf muscles are indeed the plantarflexors (plantarflexion is the movement of pointing your toes away from you) - they are important in standing on your tip toes, in toe off during the gait cycle, etc.

However, the general consensus among the medical community is that it's now called tendinopathy, not tendinitis. This is because there is no evidence to show activity of inflammatory cells, nor does it heal with the classic triphasic inflammatory response (aka the soft tissue healing model). Now, the importance of this is in the way it is managed - the word "tendinitis" makes us think of inflammation and makes us want to completely rest, etc. which is actually bad for a tendon. Won't go into the theory behind the pathology here, but always happy to share if you're curious.

You're right with the causes - a sudden increase in load is a common cause of tendinopathy. Tendons hate change, and they hate compression. So you'll also get tendinopathy when the tendon is excessively compressed (at the insertion, it is compressed in dorsiflexion (aka pointing your toes towards you) - ergo, this is where you get insertional Achilles tendinopathy). Tensile loading is also hard for tendons - and this is one of the loads that's more troublesome in mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.

Tendinopathy is characterised by very localised pain - you're generally able to point with one finger to the specifically sore area. The pain is aggravated by dose dependent tendon load, and in the Achilles, you generally get aggravation from double or single leg calf raise, jumping, or hopping. You also generally get pain and/or stiffness in the morning.

In terms of treating tendinopathy - it's important to receive this from a physiotherapist, ideally one who treats a lot of tendinopathy. :) According to Prof Jill Cook, and Dr Ebonie Rio (had a series of lectures from her these past two weeks!), and a host of other world class tendon researchers, we should not be using stretching in our treatment (puts tensile load on the tendon, which is bad!). In a nutshell, because obviously, not here to give medical advice, the stages of rehab are focused on load management (taking out the abusive load but still loading the tendon), then strengthening (lots of heavy isometrics!! Slow and heavy is the mantra), working on the tendon's energy storage, then working on that elastic function - energy storage and release (which is super important in normal function!).

Prevention - it's important to keep the exercises going, to improve the strength and function of your kinetic chain, avoid excessive compressive/tensile loads, and avoid dramatically increasing your load at the snap of a finger (do it gradually) :)

Happy to provide references here.

MCL tear
You're right - MCL sprains occur when an excessive valgus (pushing the knee inwards) force stresses the ligament (particularly with the knee bent!).
Your symptom description is pretty good - tenderness on the inside of the knee, maybe you'll hear or feel a popping sound/sensation, get swelling and/or bruising, feel instability, etc.
In terms of treatment - even a less serious injury should be treated by a physiotherapist. You should be managing pain (POLICE/RICER, etc.), strengthening your surrounding muscles to provide active stability, and the like. Prevention is all about having a strong kinetic chain, being able to land well, etc.

Well done on the hamstring injury one! A bigger predisposing factor to injury is previous hamstring injury, though, as well as eccentric contraction - hamstring strains often happen when sprinting, in the terminal swing phase of the gait cycle when they're working eccentrically (decelerate the swinging tibia, and controlling knee extension), maximally activated, and generally at peak length.
Management of this injury through physiotherapy is crucial - as the re-injury rate is super high!
« Last Edit: September 25, 2017, 11:08:06 pm by K888 »

georgiia

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Re: Dance Resources
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2017, 02:12:44 pm »
0
Hi there! Just a physio student weighing in, because some of this information isn't super accurate :) I also want to stress that as a high school/university forum, we're not here to provide medical advice - if people believe they are suffering from injuries or health problems, they should seek the advice of a physiotherapist, GP or the like.

This is gonna be pretty long, and I apologise in advance if I geek out, so I've put stuff in spoilers. Happy to clarify if anything doesn't make sense.

Just to echo Jamon, though - thanks for the awesome contribution! :D

Achilles tendinopathy
First off, the Achilles tendon is not a muscle - it is the common tendon that connects the "calf" muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the calcaneus (heel bone). The calf muscles are indeed the plantarflexors (plantarflexion is the movement of pointing your toes away from you) - they are important in standing on your tip toes, in toe off during the gait cycle, etc.

However, the general consensus among the medical community is that it's now called tendinopathy, not tendinitis. This is because there is no evidence to show activity of inflammatory cells, nor does it heal with the classic triphasic inflammatory response (aka the soft tissue healing model). Now, the importance of this is in the way it is managed - the word "tendinitis" makes us think of inflammation and makes us want to completely rest, etc. which is actually bad for a tendon. Won't go into the theory behind the pathology here, but always happy to share if you're curious.

You're right with the causes - a sudden increase in load is a common cause of tendinopathy. Tendons hate change, and they hate compression. So you'll also get tendinopathy when the tendon is excessively compressed (at the insertion, it is compressed in dorsiflexion (aka pointing your toes towards you) - ergo, this is where you get insertional Achilles tendinopathy). Tensile loading is also hard for tendons - and this is one of the loads that's more troublesome in mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.

Tendinopathy is characterised by very localised pain - you're generally able to point with one finger to the specifically sore area. The pain is aggravated by dose dependent tendon load, and in the Achilles, you generally get aggravation from double or single leg calf raise, jumping, or hopping. You also generally get pain and/or stiffness in the morning.

In terms of treating tendinopathy - it's important to receive this from a physiotherapist, ideally one who treats a lot of tendinopathy. :) According to Prof Jill Cook, and Dr Ebonie Rio (had a series of lectures from her these past two weeks!), and a host of other world class tendon researchers, we should not be using stretching in our treatment (puts tensile load on the tendon, which is bad!). In a nutshell, because obviously, not here to give medical advice, the stages of rehab are focused on load management (taking out the abusive load but still loading the tendon), then strengthening (lots of heavy isometrics!! Slow and heavy is the mantra), working on the tendon's energy storage, then working on that elastic function - energy storage and release (which is super important in normal function!).

Prevention - it's important to keep the exercises going, to improve the strength and function of your kinetic chain, avoid excessive compressive/tensile loads, and avoid dramatically increasing your load at the snap of a finger (do it gradually) :)

Happy to provide references here.

MCL tear
You're right - MCL sprains occur when an excessive valgus (pushing the knee inwards) force stresses the ligament (particularly with the knee bent!).
Your symptom description is pretty good - tenderness on the inside of the knee, maybe you'll hear or feel a popping sound/sensation, get swelling and/or bruising, feel instability, etc.
In terms of treatment - even a less serious injury should be treated by a physiotherapist. You should be managing pain (POLICE/RICER, etc.), strengthening your surrounding muscles to provide active stability, and the like. Prevention is all about having a strong kinetic chain, being able to land well, etc.

Well done on the hamstring injury one! A bigger predisposing factor to injury is previous hamstring injury, though, as well as eccentric contraction - hamstring strains often happen when sprinting, in the terminal swing phase of the gait cycle when they're working eccentrically (decelerate the swinging tibia, and controlling knee extension), maximally activated, and generally at peak length.
Management of this injury through physiotherapy is crucial - as the re-injury rate is super high!

Thanks for adding to this! Shame i couldn't have known all this before i'd done my HSC :( Oh well!!

Merged your posts and stickied - Thanks for the awesome contributions Georgia! ;D

Thank you!

Mod Edit: Post merge :)
« Last Edit: September 26, 2017, 04:54:30 pm by jamonwindeyer »