Injuries happen to 100% of dancers. That is just simply a fact. It may be as minor as shin splints or as major as something that requires surgery.

And, injuries can affect not only a dancer’s physical health but also their mental health. Dancers are notoriously tough and have extremely high thresholds for pain. So, if your dancer comes to you and says something is hurting them, listen to them!

When To Seek Professional Help

When my son told us that his shins and knee were bothering him, we knew it was bad. He’s a really private kid and nothing was going to keep him out of the ballet studio. Unfortunately, that also meant that by the time he told us there was a problem, it was a big problem!

We don’t profess to be medical experts. But, after so many years of doing this, we’ve learned a few things about how to navigate injuries. And, the most important piece of advice we have is to seek professional help immediately. And, seek it from a medical professional who has worked with dancers.

Jenny and I both experienced instances where doctors who were not dance medicine specialists missed things. The doctors our kids each went to see were not bad doctors. They just simply weren’t used to seeing injuries that were common with dancers. Once we found physicians who specialized in dance medicine or at least had worked with dancers in the past, it was easier to get an accurate diagnosis and also a recovery plan.

One of the unexpected benefits we found from working with specialized dance medicine doctors is that they often know whether or not a dancer needs to move to a modified ballet schedule or if they need to completely shut it down for days or weeks. And, your dancer is much more likely to listen to a specialist and to buy in to any proposed recovery plan.

Jenny’s daughter had a particularly difficult experience. Abbey suffered an injury that went undiagnosed for nearly three years. She had been suffering from ankle impingements in both feet with no real identifying cause. She tried rest along with a series of painful treatments, as well as extensive physical therapy, with no real permanent marked improvement. As a last resort, Abbey sought another opinion with a doctor whom she had seen before for other issues. As part of his exam, he did an x-ray series that revealed an injury that previous x-ray readings missed. And, this injury ultimately required surgery.

Had a specialist seen an x-ray like this initially, she could have saved herself years of pain.

We would also suggest doing this research up front and having a list of healthcare providers who specialize in dancers. This includes dance medicine doctors as well as physical therapists. You’re probably asking yourself how to find these folks! The best place to start is with other parents as well as studio directors. You can always cross-reference what you find with the directory of providers that is available from the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS). 

Know When To Take A Break From Class

Ballet kids NEVER want to drop out of class, even if it’s for a few days. But, when dancers are hurting, it usually means something isn’t quite right with their body. If students don’t listen to their body and give it the rest it needs, it can lead to what is known as “overuse” injuries. According to Aki Kawasaki, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Houston Ballet and Houston Ballet Academy, overuse injuries are the most common injuries he sees amongst ballet students.

He also notes that students are often afraid to tell a teacher that they may be injured. Perhaps there is a show coming up where the student has a great part. Or, perhaps there is a guest teacher coming and the student doesn’t want to miss class. Dancers are always rationalizing that they’ll rest after……” The problem is that there is always another thing to prepare for and dancers believe there is never a good time to take time off. 

Kawasaki, however, is a huge proponent of rest and recovery. He even pointed out to us that “overuse equals under-recovery,” which can lead to even more serious injuries. He also noted that it’s a heck of a lot easier to drop out for three or four days rather than exacerbating an injury that might send a dancer out for three or four months!

Feeling Forgotten

A former dancer once told me that the worst time in their life was when they were injured. It’s not just because they are in pain, but they feel forgotten. Forgotten in the studio and also outside the studio. When a student identifies as “a dancer” and then that gets taken away, it can be a difficult adjustment.

Dancers with injuries often experience a range of feelings – anger, frustration and sadness. Every dancer we spoke with said they felt these three emotions. They’re angry at the universe for getting hurt. They’re frustrated with the situation and they’re sad because they’re no longer part of the everyday flow in the ballet studio.

These feelings are normal and it’s important for parents to acknowledge these and give your dancer the emotional support they likely need.

Healing Often Takes Longer Than Expected

Unfortunately, sometimes healing from an injury takes significantly longer than expected. In Abbey’s case, she was told it would be a matter of months before she was back to dancing at full strength. Of course, recovery can often take longer than planned.

Despite having a positive outcome from the surgery, there was significantly more damage to her joint than anticipated, thereby lengthening the amount of recovery time. As the anticipated weeks of rehab turned into months of slow steady progress, her mental health suffered. What no one tells you is that a dancer often starts back slowly. Dancers must steadily add new exercises every week if there is no pain with the previously added exercises.

This can be frustrating for a dancer and sometimes demoralizing.

As a parent, the most important thing you can do is be there as support. Jenny recounted stories about how her anxiety about Abbey’s recovery began to take a toll. What she realized is that the most important job of a parent is to simply be there to provide that much needed emotional support.

Give Your Dancer Time To Recover Emotionally

Recovering from an injury is time consuming. It can also be tedious. Telling a dancer they have to just sit and recover is like telling them to just stop breathing. All they know is being in constant motion. Remember that they need to come to terms with their injury not only physically, but also emotionally. 

For some, talking to a therapist might be helpful. When my son experienced his first (major) injury, this was when he began talking with a wellness coach named Elizabeth Sullivan. She helped him work through not only his feelings of frustration, but she also helped him formulate a plan to come back from his injury. She gave him the structure he needed to work through his emotions.

Consider Cross-Training While Recovering

We recently spoke with Sue McCarroll, the Head of Pilates for The Rock School For Dance Education and the owner of Opal Wellness Studio in Haddonfield, NJ. She suggests that if dancers are injured, they should still consider cross-training while hurt. Of course she doesn’t suggest doing anything to make the injury worse! 

She recounted a story of a dancer with whom she worked where he would arrive wearing a boot. Despite the injury to his foot, he was able to engage in a modified Pilates regimen to keep his body strong while he was recovering.

One pro-tip here: If your studio requires that an injured dancer attend class to watch, it might be worth a conversation with them to see if there are exercises your dancer can be doing while in class so they don’t feel completely sidelined. Even a significantly scaled back ballet class allows your dancer to still feel like they are part of the group.

Be Realistic About How It May Impact Your Ability To Progress

Injuries can take a long time to heal. And, for some dancers, it may mean a slow road back. It can be incredibly frustrating watching others progress while you’re just sitting there waiting to heal. But, it’s important for dancers to mentally prepare for their return to the studio. The reality is that your dancer may return and feel like they’re behind the other students. They might be, but it’s usually a short-term issue that corrects itself after a bit of time. 

Injuries can be really tough on a young dancer. But, with the right support system in place they should be able to get through it and come back even more mentally tough than they were before!