How to Diagnose a Ballet Injury

Ballet dancers suffer from injuries much like athletes. They suffer from common injuries to the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Diagnosing an injury properly is key to helping the dancer treat the condition and recover properly.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Perform proper first aid. Immediate treatment of an injury lessens the chance of permanent damage.

2. Inspect the injured area to ensure no bones are broken. Keep in mind that a bone can be broken and not break the skin. Splint the area. Have a doctor do an x-ray on the affected area to rule out a break.

3. Examine the affected area for signs of a sprain. Signs can be swelling, bruising, difficulty moving the effected area, tenderness and pain.

4. Observe the feet, ankles, knees, hips and spine for possible injuries. These are the most common places a ballet dancer gets hurt. Make sure a dancer reports any injuries to these or any other areas as soon as possible.

5. Educate dancers on possible injuries. Dancers should know how to take care of their feet and foot gear as well. The sooner they realize there is a problem the easier it is to treat.

6. Seek medical advice for any major injury. A trained medical professional in sports medicine will be able to diagnose and treat any injury that a dancer may have.

Tips & Warnings

• Prevention is important in ballet. Ensure that the dancer has proper shoes. Replace shoes when worn out. Make sure that the dance surface is adequate.