If you love to dance, but have back problems, learn how to move properly so you can keep dancing. If you haven’t had back issues yet, take precautions to prevent them. If you experience a nagging back pain from dancing, your spine physician at the Southeastern Spine Institute near Charleston, SC, can diagnose and treat the cause. Early diagnosis of back problems speeds your recovery, allowing you to dance freely once more.
Dance movements involve twisting your spine, which can cause low back pain or result in a lower back strain. Low back pain accounts for 25 percent of all dancing injuries and can devastate your dancing future, especially if you’re a professional or dance regularly. Symptoms of back pain from dancing differ depending on the type of injury, but they mostly include:
- Arm or leg pain
- Lower back pain that radiates to your groin and the back of your leg
- Buttock pain
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling
What Are the Causes of Back Pain in Dance?
While dancing is a recommended exercise for a healthy back, some routines and repetitive movements can cause muscle strain, resulting in back pain. The common causes of back pain from dancing include:
- Pelvic tilts
- Lack of upper body support
- Excessively leaning back
- Overexertion
- Carrying excess body weight
- Hyper-extending your spine
- Genetics, which may be the reason for disc herniations
Many of these causes can be mitigated if you’re aware of the risks. The main risk factors for back pain from dancing include:
- Fatigue. Dancing when you’re tired makes you more prone to injury.
- Repetition. Doing the same routine over and over can lead to back pain.
- Inadequate conditioning. Dancers who don’t go through sufficient biomechanical training are prone to back pain issues.
- Lack of back strength. Younger dancers experience back pain because they haven’t developed adequate spine strength.
- Inefficient motor control. As dancers start learning routines, there’s a higher risk of injury as they haven’t learned total control of their bodies yet.
- Poor health. Being underweight puts dancers at risk of bone problems. Being overweight puts excessive pressure on the spine.
What Are the Common Back Injuries in Dancing?
Lower back and leg injuries are the most common in dance. Back injuries are the most devastating. If you don’t treat lower back problems early, they’ll impact your movements or kill your dancing career. The most common back injuries incurred from dancing include:
- Stress fractures
- Disc herniation
- Extrusion of a disc
- Pulled muscles
- Lumbar facet sprains
- Torn ligaments
Save yourself the pain and aggravation of an injury. Get your back checked out by a spine specialist at the first sign of pain. If it’s a minor muscle pull, you put your mind at ease. If it turns out to be something more serious, you’ll be glad you caught it early.
What’s the Treatment for Back Injuries from Dancing?
Treatment for back pain from dancing varies depending on the nature of the injury. Treatment options include:
- Physical therapy
- Rest from physical activity
- Over-the-counter pain medication
- Minimally invasive outpatient surgery
- Heat or ice therapy
- Pain management procedures
At the Southeastern Spine Institute, your spine physician uses a combination of conservative care and rehabilitation, pain management procedures such as steroid injections and nerve injections, and minimally invasive surgical techniques. The state-of-the-art facility is equipped with cutting-edge medical technology for a fast, correct diagnosis of back pain problems and effective treatment.
If you love to dance, don’t put off persistent back pain. Protect the joy you get from dancing now and in the future with a visit to the Southeastern Spine Institute. Contact your spinal experts to schedule an appointment.