Chiropractic Care for Dancers

Chiropractic care is a wonderful healthcare modality for dancers. Our treatment approach aligns really well with the philosophy of dance and supports the underlying goals of many dancers.

We understand the importance of excellent posture, amazing flexibility, symmetry of movement and injury prevention. We also understand that dancers will often push their body to the limit and this can lead to pain and injury.

What issues do chiropractors help dancers with?

Overuse Injuries are the most common form of injury seen in dancers. With one of the main areas being the lower back, closely followed by injuries of the lower limb (hip, knee, ankle and feet).

Chiropractors are experts in the diagnosis and management of lower back conditions. We are also well equipped to pick up subtle changes in function early which can be helpful in preventing further injury.

Injuries are more likely to occur if there are the following factors at play:

• Hyper-mobility
• Instability
• Poor posture
• Incorrect technique
• Strength and conditioning insufficiency

The human body has a wonderful, self-preserving capacity and often if an injury is starting to occur, the body will tighten to avoid further injury. This can be where flexibility issues can start to arise! So, addressing these issues early and in the right way can be a big help.

How does a chiropractor check for flexibility issues?

Our chiropractors will check the following things that may be contributing to flexibility issues:

• Spinal Health
• Neural Tension (tight nerves)
• Pelvic Alignment
• Joint function
• Muscle Strength and Function
• Muscle Patterns
• Foot Function
• Posture

How does chiropractic treatment help with a dancer’s flexibility?

Chiropractic treatment can help improve foot biomechanics and give treatments that provide much needed relief. Foot adjustments and specific muscle work can improve foot function. We are trained in rehabilitation exercises which can be helpful for dancers to improve their strength and flexibility in the feet. This can improve the whole kinetic chain and help with muscle function and flexibility.

We are trained in assessing the nervous system in a functional way. Often it is our nerves that are causing tightness in the body and we can prescribe treatments and exercises that can be helpful to relax and improve the tensioning of nerves.  Improved neural tension can lead to improved flexibility.

We can also help with pelvis misalignment and joints that are not moving well and provide strategies to help joints that are hyper-mobile or hypo-mobile.

We can test the strength and function of muscles in the body individually as well as in patterns. Sometimes addressing a muscle weakness or imbalance is the key to resolving an underlying problem. Sometimes flexibility can be caused because one muscle or group of muscles is very tight and another is very weak.

We can also help with postural challenges and figure out the underlying cause and find treatment and rehabilitation to improve this.

We can even assess breathing technique and diaphragm function. Even the way we breathe can cause increased tightness in the body and affect performance.

What if something more serious is going on?

We can check for and help patients navigate difficult issues that dancers deal with including:

• Scoliosis
• Pars fractures
• Stress fractures
• Spinal disc injuries
• Chronic tendinopathies
• Neuropathies

Signs a dancer should see a chiropractor

You should consider seeing a chiropractor if you’re experiencing any of the following:

• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Poor posture
• Tight muscles
• Sore feet
• Poor flexibility
• Clicking hip
• Asymmetry in the pelvis or shoulders
• Pins and needles/numbness
• Headaches

Get in touch with us today!

So, whether you’re dealing with back pain from doing a back bend, have chronic achilles tendon pain when attempting to leap or have ridiculously tight hamstrings no matter how much you stretch; our Chiropractors are here to help you.

We know how important it is to have a healthy, happy and pain free body on the dance floor.

Dr. Amanda O’Doherty

Hi, I’m Amanda. Chiropractor, mum, human body nerd, keen walker (with stroller of course) and social butterfly. I work with mothers and babies to help with underlying musculoskeletal issues of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding; so that mothers can gain confidence in their body for their birthing and breastfeeding journey.