Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
Hi everyone. I am a new member here though I have been following the web site for a few months now. I was interested in hearing from some former dancers, or ladies who have been in the business for ten or more years. What (if any) do you experience for physical ailments? Is it likely to develop arthritis from dancing? Or need knee/hip replacements? Foot problems? Anything from the smoky ? We do a lot of floor work at my club and I am worried about my knees. Sometimes if I have worked a few shifts in a row, I will be kneeling and a shooting pain shoots up my kneecap. It sucks. I wonder if I am killing my cartilage or something?I was just curious if any girls who have been dancing for a few years could shed some light on what lied ahead for dancers as far as any physical problems we might face, if any. Thanks! :)
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
Sorry, that was supposed to say *smoky environment.*
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
chronic tendonitis, problems with my toes and neck here! Of course, if I miss my regular workouts for several days, EVERYTHING hurts!
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
Hey Kayila.
I have 10 years, (but have been off for 5) doing massage therapy. The shooting pain is a warning sign, so modify your routine and avoid what hurts.
You may want to wrap your knees and wear thigh high boots. Try Iyengar style yoga. STRETCH YOUR LEGS and hips...especially QUADRACEPTS, get massage.
"Cross train" like an athlete. That means do other things besides dance...to avoid repetitive motion injury...
I know the 5" heels look the hottest but a lower shoe will pay off in the long run. (where YOU count more)
Smoke? That won't show up till way later. Take good care! LZ
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
dancing is a very physically demanding job..my knees snap crack and pop every day as do my feet when i walk barefoot...i've thrown my back out at least 5 times in 4 years, usually sciaticia being the case, which will reduce you to tears...sometimes i have to take painkillers in the morning when i get up just to get moving, the smoky environment stuffs up my sinuses so bad im hooked on dristan nasil spray..health benefits are not available for dancers so if i get sick im paying for prescriptions myself and if i fall off the stage and break my leg,well....that could be finacially disastrous...of course, by far it has been the most fun job i've ever had ;)
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
Oh where do I start??? ??? Excercise, a good diet and lot's of water if you're drinking.
There is no benifits package. :P
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
Ya, the knee thing...DAMN....mine are shot too, if I climb a set of stairs it sounds like I am stepping on piles of corn flakes the crunching and grinding from damaged cartilege...Glucosamine does help but the damage is done. But as a payback I have a stong body all in all FROM dancing, no back pain ever my muscles supporting my skeletal build. ANother drawback is the feet issue, they require way more can than your average chickie! Pumice stones, and thick creaming to avoid the callousing, etc etc, plus being pushed forward all your weight tipped over towards your toes, has built the bone in the big toe knuckle thingie that is not my idea pretty for damn sure. ALthough I am certain only I notice it! THE SMOKE oh Lord I hear that - I get stuffed up to as mentioned, sometimes I go back into the dressing room or the foyer just to get my breath back - long term effects well.....emphysema is one? I over amp on anti oxidents hoping to delay or thwart some of the damage anyway. I am a great believer in the healing power of a balanced diet and vitamins vitamins vitamins!!!!
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
I am 32 and started dancing at the age of 20 (off and on for 4 years, school.) Then i became a "serious" dancer 4 or more nights a week. my only concern with one club is the smoking. They do not have a good ventilation system. The other 2 clubs do. But still, i worry about smoke (as i don't put cigs up to my face on my own.) I still don't have any breathing problems...yet. Never know some may develope lung problems others not. They only problem i have had all my years of dancing are my baby toes. They tend to stick out of my shoes on certain moves, and rub while i am on stage and i have developed a major callous on each one. I use medication, but when i am back at dancing alot the problem can not go away. Knees are fine. I think one of the ways i have helped myself along with good health, is the fact that i come home and run my dogs some. Do alot of stretches, yoga poses, light weights, and swimming. If you break up your movement routine, instead of the same old just dancing every night, this may help. As our bodies where made to move. And in alot of strange ways!! 6" shoes, now that can spell trouble for the knees spine ect. But i think building up your spine through back excersises and strenghting may have helped me. I move ALOT...by moving different parts of my body constantly. Anything movement that is repeated over and over again with out adding other types can be bad. PS, and always remember if you are moving and having sharp pain, you should have it looked at, and try moving a different way instead so that certain area is not used much. Ease up, and vary dance routines, wear flatter shoes with certain dances, and never do the same old movements over for years. Just what seemed to works for me, advice from a woman i met when i started along time ago. Pamela ;)
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
I feel pretty lucky - I have danced part-time for 8 years and have no complaints. I do tend to get winded a little more easily now than when I was 19, so I work out in order to have the energy for work!
Don't drink at work, wear shoes that fit, stretch and eat well - that's about all I can say.
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
I have been dancing 7.5 years, and have had knee problems since my first year. It was actually the worst in my first year, because I didn't know how to take care of them and hadn't learned to dance in a way that was easier on them. Now they don't bother me, but they pop all the time. I have been taking glucosamine/chondrointin supplements along with the rest of my vitamins for a long time, and that does help alot. I also take alot of calcium, which helps the joints as well. In more recent years, I have developed a bit of a problem with my right hip, where sometimes when walking, standing up or just moving a certain way, it seems to catch and not allow me full movement. It doesn't hurt, but it's uncomfortable and makes me look sort of funny if it happens to catch as I'm midway through a sexy stroll across the club ::) That has also improved since I've been taking the supplements regularly.
I have had a problem with something called 'falling arches' since I was 11, so that does give me probably more foot trouble than what most dancers have, but it's nothing really serious. A more bothersome foot issue is roughness and/or calloses, but I give myself regular pedicures to control that. Regular massages also make a huge difference!
The best thing you can do for your whole body is wear comfortable shoes that fit well and are not toooo high. Platforms are better than regular heels because A) the platform acts as a shock-absorber between your feet and the floor, and B) it allows you to wear the higher heels without throwing your body out of alignment so much. Open-toed shoes are also better than closed-toes because your feet tend to slide down in heels and if the toes of your shoes are closed they will crunch your toes too much.
The smoke doesn't bother me much unless someone blows it right in my face, but that does happen on occasion. I've never heard of a dancer getting sick from that, but I'm positive it can happen. I think our more prevelant worries would be joints, back, feet, etc. As most of the other girls have said, exercise, good diet, vitamins and varied routines helps stop some of that damage.
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
I have permanent nerve damage in one foot (you know those clear plastic shoes that stretch as your feet get hot and sweaty? stay the hell away from them), knee problems, and an occasional problem with my left hip.
Lena
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
What??? Nerve damage from those clear shoes we all wear?!?!?! I wear those things all the time - go with everything. How can those cause nerve damage?
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
Quote:
What??? Nerve damage from those clear shoes we all wear?!?!?! I wear those things all the time - go with everything. How can those cause nerve damage?
I bet that if they fit poorly they could, if you wear them all night and ignore the fact that a toe or something is going numb. Everyone has a different foot so not every shoe works.
I wear a pair of these all the time too - they are a wedge, very stable and comfortable, and fit well, and my feet feel great at the end of the night, so if they aren't causing you discomfort, you're probably ok. The thing is heels are shitty for our bodies, no two ways about it, so the thing to do is find the least shitty heel. The ones that tear up my feet are anything with a closed toe, I can't stand to wear them for long. I need an open toed platform with a nice ankle strap and a thick instep strap to keep my feet in place.
I have wished for so long that someone would manufacture a really good dancing shoe, one with arch support and good insoles, made of real leather, not plastic. I would pay quadruple to get a really good shoe. Any shoe companies listening?
Re: Long-term Physical Effects of dancing
Hi! I have been dancing with a pre-conceived injury. I fell down the stairs and have a major misalignment in my pelvic region which offsets just about my whole body.
I suggest pilates and water exercise (you can swim or substitute your reg. running/walking in the pool). You recieve 95% less gravitational pull on the joints and recieve a more enduring workout because the water makes the body exert more force during movement.
In the club, I get away with wearing flat shoes...It's not allowed but I get creative in costume ideas to pull off certain looks...like cowgril with boots, ect.
In reality, yes, dancing with the shoes will wreak havoc on your back, so think ahead...if you o wear the shoes, just try to compensate...take reg. breaks in the back, tuck in your pelvis when you can....this will reverse the effect of the stress that the shoe creates.
A trick I do if I wear platforms is to face my back towrds the cust. face, hold the arms of the chair for balance, and tuck my pelvis in and fowrd to the max while resting my lower back on the part of the chair that's vacant...it may take a while to picture but if you can do this it works wonders on the back!