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Thread: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

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    Featured Member Starfire's Avatar
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    Default four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Seriously. My knees hurt, my wrists hurt, my back hurts, my ankles hurt...I feel like an old lady at the age of 23. This job is so hard on my body. it wasn't so bad when I used to work only 3 days a week, but the way things are these days, I need to be working 5. I'm still making money, but it's unpredictable, so I need to be there enough days to catch the good ones. (and if not, money adds up even when it IS slow). Lately though, all the work is catching up to me. When I work all three days of the weekend, on monday morning, I can barely move. Girls that have been dancing awhile, how do you guys do it? Supplements? Work less? I need help.
    Ps. I am having a really rough week, so I am feeling extra whiney right now.

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    Veteran Member miss cleo's Avatar
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    My knees are where i feel it most, i take glucosamine supplements and sometimes wear knee support bandages during the day and this really helps. Also i find weekend shifts much harder on my body cos i do a high volume of single dances whereas on a week day shift i will do less single dances and more vips which involves more sitting down and talking. So maybe you can mix up ur schedule a bit?

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    im at 6 years and i feel you. my knees and feet have taken the brunt of it, but my wrist i put all my weight on for pole tricks is starting to hurt a lot too....

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    God/dess Emily's Avatar
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    do you (or can you?) take off your shoes when you do dances? This is a biggie for me.
    Can you avoid stage? Or at least not dance too crazy.
    How do you take care of yourself? Do you work out?
    Do you see a doctor? (for me, an accupuncturist worked wonders)

    I have been dancing 6 years (mostly working 4-6 nights per weeks) and am doing okay at 31. I think it's because I take it easy at work and take care of myself on my non-work time.

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    I am wondering the same thing as i lay here writhing in pain from a stiff neck and searing pain on my lower back. and i have to drag my butt to work tonight...
    have an appt with a chiropractor on wednesday... phew i can not WAIT TO SEE HIM! a deep tissue massage does wonders but it hasnt gotten rid of the pain

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    Veteran Member AmArticia's Avatar
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    After a lifetime of ballet, my advice is to warm up/stretch before you work. Yoga is also pretty awesome for back pain. The more flexible you are, the less pain you will have. I also attempt to ditch my shoes a few times per shift at which point I do basic curl-pointe-flair-flex excersizes amongst other stuff to keep my feet flexy and that seems to help massively in the foot pain department. Proper non-sickled toe pointe also helps massively in keeping your ankles in better condition. Anbody with ballet training can teach you how to keep from sickling and from there it's just a matter of breaking your old foot pointing habbit in favour of the correct version.

    As for the knees...I'm not qualified to give advice since my knees are extremely hyperextended and all normal laws don't seem to apply to them.
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    chiropractors.


    I've also been trying out a tens unit (google it) that you put on your back or whatever and then you basically electrically stimulate your muscles so it short circuits your pain receptors and you don't feel pain.

    there's better machines that you can get that actually retrain the muscles but I can't remember the names.

    a tens unit costs about $80 and was the only reason I could get out of bed one morning this week-- because my midback was so tight I felt like a tortoise stuck on its back-- can't get up!

    after an hour and a half on the unit (after 30 min. I was actually up and around) I was loose as a goose.

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Find a massage buddy!

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Welcome to the club. Don't forget the rasp in your voice that never goes away because of the cigarette smoke... I was fortunate enough to start another career that I enjoy and I can finally speak clearly. Its kinda weird to hear myself talk now! but some people just do it as long as they can until an injury knocks them out of the game for good. My best advice is just eat right, exercise, and get lots of rest. Sorry!

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    my lower back hurts real bad.. do a lot of you guys have pain there???

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    My lower back is the only place I feel pain.

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    how do you know if your knees are messed up? I have been dancing for 4 years and the only thing i notice is my feet. They hurt and aren't as pretty as they used to be.

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    I've always had crappy knees and dancing has been really hard on me. You know because they hurt. Mine crack and pop all of the time and if I go for a long run or anything strenuous they hurt to the point of limping. I went to a physical therapy thing for a while, but that didn't help any. I don't know if there is much to do for it besides what's been mentioned here. I'm going to look into those suppliments.
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Glucosamine, also MSM, which heals tendons and connective tissue. Megadoses of MSM are good.

    One thing someone posted on here a while back is that in terms of back impact, dancing with non-platform heels will cause problems, while platforms absorb some of the impact.

    Feldenkreis method classes are good for sorting out any physical issue -- they help you naturally train yourself to move more ergonomically.
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Yoga and pilates are the only things that keep me from dying after work-especially for my back. I hadn't been keeping up the past few weeks, and worked 2 long shifts this weekend. Sunday-OMG-I swear I was almost numb with pain. Make sure you have the right shoes as well. Achy feet is normal, swelling in the ankles or numbness is not. I sold a new pair of shoes the other night because of foot numbness. That stuff will haunt you.

    Also-vitamins, lots of water, Clif bars. Vit B-12 tabs or Emergen-c at work. Has anyone taken the Emergen-c with MSM?

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    I have a lot of problems with my feet. Sneakers always feel tight and my poor toes feel so cramped in them. I have horrible corns and calluses and regularly visit the podiatrist to have them shaved off. Maybe you need to take a few days off to let your body recover a little bit. I think working 5 nights a week is very taxing on our bodies. Maybe you could work 5 nights a week one week and 3 nights the other. Perhaps you should start thinking about checking out other clubs if you don't want to switch all together maybe try throwing in 1 night a week somewhere different where you might have a chance to make more money. I know it's really hard thinking about making less money but is it worth it in 10-20 years we can hardly walk anymore from all of the abuse we have put our bodies through?

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Quote Originally Posted by KamrynAnne View Post
    my lower back hurts real bad.. do a lot of you guys have pain there???
    Ever since I fractured three of my vertibrae on a pole it's been my upper back. I can't get that pain to go away.


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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    Ever since I fractured three of my vertibrae on a pole it's been my upper back.
    Jesus, what happened? Did you fall?

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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Quote Originally Posted by Lilah29 View Post
    Jesus, what happened? Did you fall?
    Girl used lotion on the pole. Went to do an invert. Fell on my neck.


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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    Girl used lotion on the pole. Went to do an invert. Fell on my neck.
    Agh. Neck is very delicate. I have problems there too.

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    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Yeah I dont know howto fix that one. Saw a chiro. Worst money spent ever. Saw a massage and sports therapist. Helped my lower back. Tried working it out. Nada. I can't seem to fix that main fault from my dancing.

    I already loofah my toes every day to try to get rid of the deformity from the heels. And my knees I KNOW are gonna be fucked real soon because of how hard I work them.

    I also worry about my flexibility harming me in the future as well.

    My ankles and feet never hurt from being 9 hours on heels anymore though...


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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    My neck and back are like an old ladies, my chiro told me he's rarely seen a neck worse than mine. I stay off stage as much as possible as in the UK it doesn't really make us any money. When I do go up I do no pole tricks, they just fuck my body up and I don't make any more money when I do pole tricks so I just don't see the point. Also, I don't swing my hair about anymore. I used to be a big hair swinger until I trapped a nerve in my neck, now no more head swinging for me.
    I swear by the chiropractor, accupuncture and massage. Also, don't wear old shoes, once the cushions in your shoe wear out, buy a new pair to save your feet.



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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    i was a pole dance junkie, but not after i get sore back. i m not even doin pole tricks now, feel so much better

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    Featured Member CuriousSeeker's Avatar
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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    Quote Originally Posted by Emily View Post
    I have been dancing 6 years (mostly working 4-6 nights per weeks) and am doing okay at 31. I think it's because I take it easy at work and take care of myself on my non-work time.
    Were you ever big on pole tricks?
    "Don't piss off a motivated stripper."


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    Default Re: four years of dancing, and my body is fucked up

    oh man i have had the worst problems with my back i tore all the mucsles in my shoulder and it healed into scar tissue and has never come right, my hips are twisted and apparenly after getting x-rays the found my neck was going the wrong way and i have the spine of an 80yr old. massive.
    i did most of the damage when i was getting wasted at work which is not good you dont pay attention to your body and just do dumb stuff so dont do that.
    i go regulary to get my back cracked in and massage but i bought some of those orthadedic in shoe foot supports and wore them as often as possible in my day shoes and it relaxed my hips (from all the moving and poking my ass out) and then the rest of my back felt heaps better.
    since i have stopped dancing when i do pole work i usually go barefoot, stilletos, the way they angle your hips and lower back, may look damn sexy, but they unfortunatly ruin your natural vertabre alignment, hence the reason you usually find flat shoes difficult after working lots. the rule is anything over 2 inches throws out the alignment and puts a ton of pressure and your hips and knees. i dont know bout you ladies but my shoes are generally round 7" so that cant be good. but goddamn they make my ass look fabulous!

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