So you want to be a dance physio? 🩰
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Get to know the terminology, lifestyle & culture. Many dance physios have a background in performing, but not all. However, knowing the difference between ‘fosse walks’ & a grande jeté en tournant will help you understand/manage dance injuries & importantly gain performers’ trust
Read the literature 📚🩰 Dance Science is a fast-developing area and there’s a growing body of evidence to refer to. @JDMS_IADMS publish a quarterly journal with fantastic articles. Also follow @ACPSEMdance @NIDMS_ @onedanceuk @TL_DanceScience @ukbapam @AdamMattiussi
Be great at manual therapy, massage & taping, but don’t mis-sell them ☝🏼 Performers often need those quick fixes (as much as the imp. fundamentals). Being able to provide immediate (if short lived) symptom modification is invaluable - keeping professionals on stage & being paid
If you work in a company you’ll need to know the hierarchy & set up. The company manager will be your go-to for comms & supply requests. Know the difference between a swing & understudy & what that means to the performer. Know the choreography, costume demands, puppets & props!
If you work with freelancers, remember the stress they’re under. Little security from job to job & probably holding down 2-3 other (non dance) jobs to make it all work. Empower, educate & make it count. Direct them to the brilliant NHS dance clinics! nidms.co.uk/nhs-dance-inju…
Be familiar with RED-S/bone stress, hypermobility, hip, knee, foot & ankle. The upper limb is often injured during floor or partner work and especially in styles such as Breaking 💪🏼 Know when & where to refer for mental health or nutritional support - you’ll need your MDT 🧠🥑
Understand why dancers stretch endlessly (culture, aesthetics, hypermobility making them ‘feel tight’). Know the evidence and how to argue it to get them to use their time wisely - weighted eccentrics, controlled end-range work, strength & proprioception e.g. clockface training👇🏼
Get ready to start pushing cardiovascular fitness! Dancers aren’t fit. Evidence has shown that their VO2 max often isn’t much higher than that of a sedentary person. See my blog here for details about how to train the CR system for ‘show fitness’…🩰🚴🏻♀️🫀🫁
blogs.bmj.com/bmjopensem/202…
Dancers are great at doing yoga & Pilates. Selling cross-training like this isn’t difficult. But, evidence is pointing more in the direction of resistance/strength training for injury reduction. Getting buy-in for this can be trickier. Empower dancers to think like athletes! 🩰🏋🏼♀️
How do I get the job? Network & use social media - most jobs are advertised there/by word of mouth. Take every opportunity you can. Shadow, follow, & volunteer! Build experience & exposure, and ooze enthusiasm. It’s an amazing world to be part of and hugely inspirational 🤩🎭🩰
People to follow not already listed in the thread: @NKolokythas @sportex_dr_amal @drnickykeay @HealthierDancer @shanekellypt @mattwyon @DAATpodcast @S_Maysey @UoCDanceScience @FrancesAClarke @BluesteinLinda @ManuAngioi @Physiobil @colingriffin @TheRoyalBallet @rebalancepandp 🎭🩰
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