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Injury Prevention for Dancers

4/24/2018

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One of the basic characteristics of ballet dance is the external rotation of the legs, also known as turnout. A popular style of ballet is pointe which is danced on the tips of 3 toes.  Pointe shoes have a reinforced toe box that is flat on the tip, creating an even surface for the dancer to stand on.  These elements can all potentially cause severe injuries.

The rotation of the legs seen in ballet and pointe, occurs at the hip joint.  This motion at the hip uses six deep muscles and is extremely important for proper movement. All six of these muscles connect the femur to the pelvis and are used to rotate the legs externally and internally.  Many young ballet dancers are taught to use their feet as a guide for turnout.  This focus on rotating out at the the feet can lead a dancer to only turnout at their feet instead of utilizing their hips, an unnatural occurrence, and can lead to knee and ankle injuries.

Pointe dancers need to have strong ankle muscles and good flexion in the ankles. I have seen students start pointe too early which has compromised the structure of their foot and leg bones and lead to very damaging injuries.  Dance injuries are categorized as acute or new injuries and chronic injuries that develop over time. 

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Some common chronic injuries I see in my practice are stress fractures, plantar fasciitis and patellar tendinitis.  Chronic injuries develop from overuse and activities such as repetitive jumping and landing.  Common acute injuries are ankle sprains, muscle cramps and broken toes.  These occur from weak or fatigued muscles, instability when performing jump landings and incorrect technique.

Acute and chronic injuries can be prevented.  In order to prevent injuries in dancers, specifically ballet dancers, you must incorporate exercises that help with flexibility, strength, posture, alignment, balance and mobility. I recommend adding pilates and yoga to your workouts 2-3 times per week.

Pilates helps strengthen the core and improves alignment.  Pilates classes that use the reformer are not easily accessible for many and can get quite expensive.  You can take a pilates mat class or even better find a local Rollology™ instructor.  If you can not find one, you can get certified to become one yourself here:  www.RollologyFitness.com.

Rollology™ targets each and every part of your body helping to strengthen core muscles, improve alignment, posture and balance.  It helps strengthen arms and legs and can promote flexibility.  You can also use the foam roller to self massage and release tight fascia and muscles.  Make sure to MOBILIZE your fascia.  Just stretching, or even too much stretching, can cause injuries if the fascia and muscles are immobile or stiff.  

Yoga is great for gaining muscle strength, joint stability, balance and focus.  Hatha yoga is a very common type of yoga and can likely be found in your  area.  Hatha yoga focuses on balance, breathing and flexibility.   It will also help young dancers focus, stay centered and ease performance nerves. 

I hope this helps your little dancer stay injury free and dancing for a long time!  I will be launching ShopDrSuz.com.  This is a brand new website that will have foot care solutions for all your foot, ankle and leg conditions.  Stay tuned for more blog posts and information on keeping your feet, ankles and lower body healthy and injury free.  
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Just Roll With It- The Perfect Workout

4/1/2018

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I have been utilizing a foam roller for pre-and post workout recovery for several years.  It was just a little over a year ago when Alyson Limehouse, the founder of Rollology™ Fitness, invited me to one of her classes.  I expected some stretching and using the roller for SMR or self-myofascial release massage but this class was way more than that!  

Alyson began the class with direction on proper posture and alignment.  While seated, the foam roller is placed behind you to help align your spine correctly.  Alyson gives tips on how to appropriately breathe through each posture and takes the time to correct your alignment.  One of my favorite sets of moves are the bride arms.  These small movements target that underarm flab and are much more difficult than they look.  We then transitioned to laying on top of the roller and focused on core strength and mobility moves.  These flowed into sets of leg toning and lengthening exercises.  The class also includes a set of foot and ankle exercises emphasizing the importance of strong, mobile and well aligned foot and ankle muscles, fascia and joints.

Rollology™ targets each and every part of your body helping to strengthen core muscles, improve alignment, posture and balance.  It also helps strengthen arms and legs, can aid in decreasing cellulite and promotes flexibility. Another plus, is that the Rollology™ Fitness program can be modified for the elderly, those with injuries or people recovering from surgery.  I recommend attending these classes as part of your workout or physical therapy routine on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  Once learning how to perform the movements correctly, you can definitely do them at home or whenever it is convenient.  The beauty of this type of Pilates is that it can be done anywhere at any time.  

Another health benefit is the treatment of "Tech Neck".  Many of of us hold our heads forward and flexed down looking at our smart phones and laptops.  Looking at our devices we lean forward and look down bringing the weight of our head into a position that causes it to be heavier putting more stress and strain on our bodies.  Those prolonged periods of hunching over our screens are slowly causing our necks to stay in that more forward position.  The strained tissues lose their pliability causing a lot of pain and dysfunction. Some may even experience neck pain, headaches/migraines and numbness/tension in your fingers.  Tech neck is leading to an extremely unattractive posture called kyphosis or rounding of the upper back aka Dowager's Hump at a very early age!  Rollology™ exercises teaches the body to go back into a neutral spine while engaging the core to help support the spine, neck and head. This helps to strengthen the neck muscles along with the shoulders to help prevent the head from coming forward.  Your body will also be stretched to make the neck, head and shoulders more flexible.  

Rollology fitness classes help make it possible to do every day activities and sports with ease and reduced pain.  It is the perfect workout because it helps strengthen, stabilize, align, mobilize and stretch every part of your body in little over an hour.  Anyone can participate no matter what age, gender or fitness level. All you need is a mat and a custom designed Rollology™ Roller. The Rollology™ Roller is a medium density roller that is custom designed for Rollology™ workouts, physical therapy, before or after exercise, yoga and massage therapy.  "In 2018, you can do many forms of exercises that build and strengthen muscles but may also be setting you up for neck or back pain with surgery as the end result", says Alyson Limehouse.  "Rollology™ not only strengthens and lengthens muscles it also works out the body in proper alignment and neutral spine.  By focusing on alignment while exercising with Rollology, you can successfully workout to reduce the chances of surgeries in the future while creating a symmetrical and firm body."

Immediately following your first Rollology™ class, you can see and feel the difference in your posture and alignment.  I soon decided to become a Rollologist™ (certified licensed rollology™ instructor). It is important for me to be able to provide my patients and clients a well-rounded treatment plan.  Your feet and ankles are definitely your foundation for movement, but you do need a strong core, proper pelvic and spinal alignment and balance to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.  I currently provide private sessions with my patients and plan on teaching classes beginning spring/summer 2018.  For more information follow me on social media Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.  

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​Alyson Limehouse, Founder of Rollology™

Rollology™ was developed by Second Generation Master Pilates Instructor, Alyson Limehouse, who studied under Pilates Elder Lolita San Miguel. (Lolita is only one of two people that Joseph Pilates personally certified before he passed away in 1967.) Alyson has owned and operated Sunset Pilates Studio on Palm Beach Island for 16 years.

Alyson is very passionate about the art of sculpting the body through a balanced blend of strength and flexibility training, which improves posture, reduces stress and creates long, lean muscles without bulking up. Alyson created Rollology™ so that anybody can have a safe and effective work out that is affordable.

For more information on classes, workshops and certification courses go to www.RollologyFitness.com


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    Dr. Suzanne Fuchs has a passion for nutrition, health and fitness.  She aims to connect the dots between our overall health and the substances that go into our bodies on a daily basis by using only evidence based medicine, science and expert advice.    
    Dr. Suzanne Fuchs currently practices concierge foot and ankle medicine and surgery in Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida at LuxePodiatry™ 
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    Dr. Suz Heals.com  is intended to be used for educational and information purposes only. Dr. Suz Heals.com and its Editors do not advocate nutritional supplementation over proper medical advice or treatment and this sentiment will never be expressed through pages hosted under Dr. Suz Heals .com.  If using any pharmaceuticals or drugs given to you by a doctor or received with a prescription, you must consult with the doctor in question or an equally qualified Health Care Professional prior to using any nutritional supplementation. If undergoing medical therapies, then consult with your respective Therapist or Health Care Professional about possible interactions between your Treatment, any Pharmaceuticals or Drugs being given, and possible nutritional supplements or practices hosted on Dr. Suz Heals.com.  Dr. Suz Heals.com does not assume liability for any actions undertaken after visiting these pages, and does not assume liability if one misuses supplements. Dr. Suz Heals.com  and its Editors do not ensure that unforeseen side effects will not occur even at the proper dosages, and thereby does not assume liability for any side effects from supplements or practices hosted under the domain of Dr. Suz Heals.com.



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