Injury prevention and treatment for Dancers

This is needless to say that knowledge of right movements and basics of bio mechanics helps dancers to prolong their career span.

 Landing techniques is a broad term that decides the way you touch the ground while  you manoeuvre your body during various moves.

Few factors that play key role in landing related injuries are as follows:

 Surface- Frequent change in quality of floor surface leads to altered proprioception (sense of joint position).For example,many auditoriums have raked stage that inclines towards the audience; a dancer who has practised on flat surface may need more effort to keep antero-posterior (forward- backward) balance.This is a common cause of injury during final rehearsals before shows. Similarly sudden transition from sprung floor to cemented floor during tours may need adjustment in impact of landing.

 Dance form- Some dance forms are physically more demanding than others.Modern contemporary dance styles have a huge scope of use of quick moves,jumps and gymnastics.What may lead to injuries is variation of moves from show to show which doesn't give enough time for adaptation.Injuries in such dance forms can involve any part like back, knee or ankle etc.whereas in classical forms of dance moves remain disciplined within a certain pattern so type of injuries also follow a certain pattern.Research based evidence from a study in 1989(N.America) suggested that ankle injuries are most common in ballet and theatricals. Assessment and prevention-In a dance medicine conference, researchers presented that:Prevention is the keystone to avoid injuries, and for dance injuries,preventing strategies may be directed toward previously identified risk factors.A supervised training regimen should be monitored for gradual progression of intensity and type of activity.Female Athletes/Dancers are at higher risk because maintaining a dance fit lean body involves dieting and vigorous practise.This lifestyle over a prolonged period may lead to problems such as amenorrhea,eating disorders and osteoporosis;this is known as the female athletes triad.This may lead to added risk of stress fractures during improper landing techniques.Guru Knows Best- Medical advice may help you to understand importance of landing techniques but its your teacher in a particular dance form who can help you correct your landing in a specific manner.

Physiotherapy Appointment - Koramangala,Bangalore

Visit our website http://www.physicalhealthconsultants.com/ and submit appointment form for direct confirmation.

We are available at physiotherapist.post@gmail.com and physio@physicalhealthconsultants.com.

Patients may seek appointments mentioning the following

Name:

Date of required appointment:

Your preference for appointment timings:

A sms with the above mentioned details to 9986370169 / 7760616650 is another way that you may book an appointment.

Koramangala in Bangalore is well connected with all parts of the city.If you are new to the city,this may be the easiest place to reach.We are  close to The Forum Mall,which is a well known landmark.

Cardio Workout planned by PT

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Co relating cardiac problems with only old age is a thing of past, in present times cardiac problems can be age independent.Stress, both physical and mental has increased in urban lifestyle and thus has left almost all of us prone to stress related health issues.

Many other old  theories and myths do not hold good.We need to understand that heart attacks can come to anyone and anytime.We also need to understand that everyone with a family history of cardiac problems is not prone to heart  attack.Heart attacks can be silent and may not be necessarily associated with chest pain.Blood pressure fluctuations also may not always show the typical signs and symptoms known to be related to B.P problems.There are various tests available to evaluate cholesterol levels and artery blockage percentage, these may be indicative of problems if any.

You have a healthy heart or not can be decided only by specialist and not by your own assumptions based on your lifestyle. Known Factors such as 

-Obesity 

-Old age 

-Alcohol consumption 

-Smoking 

-Sedentary living 

-Unhealthy food habits 

-Irregular sleep habits etc. are all important in shaping up your heart's future,but they are not the only criteria to be dealt with. 

Regular exercise and healthy food habits are required to maintain good heart health.These exercises and food habits can not be generalised, it needs to be specific to your personal health requirements and thus should be prescribed by professionals.

All exercise is not good exercise,if you have not undergone proper cardiac test.Sudden on field cardiac arrest of athletes in recent past shows how even fit young athletes may be at risk.

Mountain Climbing and Trekking

 We have included both these under the same title because of many similarities but for professionals, they know how trekking and mountaineering needs are different.Getting into intricacies is not our target but would like to mention that fitness levels need to be good before getting out for any of the above.Chances of injury is very high for those who do not have adequate strength, flexibility and endurance.One of the most important needs of a trek or mountain climbing is proper gear including good footwear,first aid kit and oxygen if necessary.Everyone should have trained for cardiovascular fitness for some days prior to the trip.As oxygen levels start dipping,body limits are tested to maximum. Fall of temperature with altitude is the leading cause of casualties.Adventure levels are high but at the same time body needs to be well prepared.No one should carry an injury with him, its better to stay away if your physio has advised you to do so.Ankle and knee injuries in particular may resurface during long distance walking or climbing.Some beginners may not be aware but diet plans have to be made in advance as well and strictly followed for few days before the main event.Preparation exercises may include breathing exercise,yoga,core strengthening, brisk walks or jogging etc.Mental preparation is as important as physical, so meditation and even counselling if needed may be done before high altitude mountaineering.

Underwater Fitness : Hydrotherapy

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Swimming as an exercise is much more useful than generally understood.Water provides a maintained resistance during movement, thus helping generalised toning of muscles.Chest is under constant pressure from all sides so it takes a slightly different effort from lungs as compared to lung function in any other exercise.It can be used by sports person to increase body flexibility and endurance.Aqua aerobics may be used to improve agility.Sri Lanka Cricket team used aqua aerobics widely before 1996 World Cup to increase fitness levels and this totally transformed the team which went on to win the tournament.Generally swimming is a very safe exercise when it comes to injury rehabilitation just that your physio or specialised hydro physio therapist needs to help you with quantifying your effort under water.Hydrotherapy as a branch of medical rehabilitation is a widely accepted phenomenon in many parts of the world.Swimming as a leisure activity is a great way to destress.Slow prolonged swimming is as good as a massage session for general relaxation.Few factors that matter if you want to take up,swimming as an exercise are: Make sure the pool is hygienically well maintained. There should be no slippery floors or pool surface. Duration and technique of swimming that may help you the most, should be decided by professionals. Never exceed your body limitations. People with ligament,muscle injury or any form of vertebral disc issues should do only specified exercises under water. Stroke patients, special children,paraplegics and quadriplegics can be benefitted immensely with hydrotherapy but its still a distant dream for Indian medical scenario.

Cycling is good for everyone

Among other forms of exercise, cycle riding stands apart.This is simply a way of exercising incorporated with a goal of transporting you from point A to point B. This is a form of exercise which is Eco friendly,pocket friendly and most importantly non time consuming.Time and again it has been recommended as a great cardiovascular exercise which helps in enhancing general endurance.Mobility of lower limbs during cycling is a great way to maintain joint structure and muscle strengths if not overdone.Contrary to general belief,cycling involves more than just the lower limb activity, it acts as a stress buster and a helps improving body co-ordination.Though generally safe it can cause a few health issues particularly if you plan to start cycling all of a sudden and are not used to it since your childhood days.Inter vertebral disc prolapse,Asthma/breathing problems,Fractures,Muscle/ligament tears are some conditions in which a patient should seek medical advice before starting cycling.In most of the physical ailments,your physiotherapist is the right person to advice you if cycling may be a good idea for you or not.One more fact to be kept in mind is that use of proper cycling gear,including headgear,knee pads,elbow pads etc. is very important. Cycling is still used a mode of transport for short distance in some cities around the world but most of the Indian Metro cities do not see a bicycle as a high status mode of transport.Few adventure seekers in recent times have taken cycling as a serious adventure sport which comes as a refreshing way to end a hectic week.It can easily be converted into a fun activity if people come together in offices and localities and decide to take bicycle to work.

The Great Science of Yoga

Yoga is one of the earliest forms of structured physical activity with well defined benefits.Looking at modern lifestyles, it seems as if yoga was actually always meant to be a part of 21st century chaotic lifestyle.This is not only an exercise style for physical fitness but its also a pathway to disciplined living. It leads to  mind and body co-ordination which in turn creates a sense of spiritual calmness. Mental calm or body flexibility are not the only benefits of regular yoga practise, there is a lot more that this ancient science can provide to our modern urban lifestyle.Weight loss benefits of yoga are presented in many international studies and research.Interestingly when practised regularly, a great control over breathing patterns is achieved which  causes favourable changes in metabolic rates and lung and cardiac functions. This form of exercise is always considered as a perfect way to maintain mechanical structure of the body i.e. joint structure and function.It may not be a new technique on  its own but over ages yoga has been modified and reinvented by trainers into various modern yoga forms,which are termed at ease to find resonance with present understanding. Now comes the warning part where we want to mention that it needs to be a careful choice when you decide to choose a yoga school or trainer.It has been a guru-shishya art from the very beginning but now has taken a commercial turn by becoming a part of the overgrowing fitness industry.All yoga is not correct yoga and yoga can not be learnt by watching it on TV. Particularly if you are suffering from any health issues such as bone/ joint or cardiothoracic problems, seek advice from experienced physiotherapist before joining yoga and mention your problems to the yoga trainer before starting your sessions.

Shoulder Treatment by Physiotherapy

Shoulder problems may be broadly classified into two 1.Age related 2.Injury/Work related Age related pain of shoulder is very common and leads to restriction of movement.This is often termed as FROZEN SHOULDER.Your physio may use certain manual tests which may help in diagnosing the exact cause of movement restriction.If manual tests are inconclusive,you may be referred for X ray or Scan depending on need.Most of the cases of shoulder pain in elderly may test your patience due to the slow speed of recovery.Its further affected if patient is a diabetic.Once on course of treatment you are supposed to follow it regularly for few days, it may comprise electrotherapy modalities,exercises and manual intervention. Injury of shoulder, particularly in athletes is another common reason for shoulder related physio visit.In both cases i.e overuse or acute injury, the problem gets worsened because of delay in meeting your physio.These injuries need to be immediately attended to but in most cases athlete tries to overcome pain and continue with sport activity.Sometimes injury may worsen eg:a moderate muscle tear may get more complicated just because of continuing with the sport activity.In sports injuries, cause of injury eg. way of falling or impact of force may give helpful clues to diagnose it.Many modern approaches and techniques have made present day physio well equipped with better treatment for shoulder related sports injury.Rehabilitation of this kind of injury is done with two things in mind i.e. part of the shoulder complex which is involved and the sport that this sportsperson plays.

Wrist Pain /injury

Wrist pain is becoming common due to two major factors
1.Overuse of gadgets, particularly PC at work

2.Gym induced injuries

Both of the causes are avoidable if we take a few precautions but work pressure at office and over enthusiasm at gym does all the damage.

 Well once you get the pain then instead of doing too much Internet research on your own or trying to cover the pain temporarily with unnecessary medication, you should get it checked by your physio. Proper assessment will help in specifying the cause of your problem.There are many factors that may lead to this kind of pain

  Synovitis
 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

 De Quirvain's syndrome...
 to name a few. Different approaches to treatment may be needed depending on the cause of pain.Few cases may need further investigations to rule out rheumatoid arthritis or other factors.If mobility is restricted due to pain your physio may use manual techniques otherwise most of the cases need simple anti inflammation and pain reduction approach followed by exercise based on need.

PAIN FREE 2013... Doing even better in 2014

Dear All,

              May this year bring joy,health and peace around the world.I would like to remind you that good health comes with happiness.So spend a lot  f time with your loved ones to stay happy and healthy.When good people are around you, good things will fall in place.Thanks for reading the blog in such large numbers, this encourages us to write better...

Today on 21  June 2013, it gives me great pleasure to write that we have achieved what we promised.We have succesfully managed almost cent percent cases to have six pain free months .A big thanks to all those, particularly slip disc cases like Mr.A and Ms S for showing faith in us when they were already told that surgey remains the only option for recovery.We  are not using any out of the world techniques as many people claim to implement.We just want to show how even basic physio treatment accompanied with adequate lifestyle changes can help in physical ailments.
Today on 21/2/14 we proudly announce that both our above mentioned patients have avoided surgey and are back to normal life.In fact Ms. S is back to dancing Salsa and Cha Cha ,she is a dance teacher.Few other cases were able to avoid surgical intervention in the past few months.This support and faith of our patients gives us energy to go on and keep giving our best.