So You Think You Can Dance… Dance Medicine at SPTA Here at SPTA, it is a guarantee that you will see a wide range of high level athletes at all of our clinics. From professional sports teams to future stars, we have developed programs to prevent and treat athletes at every level. It is not common knowledge, however, that SPTA physical therapists are well equipped with the knowledge and tools to assist dancers of all disciplines with their issues as well. Needless to say, dancers are athletes “playing” a sport of great intensity. Dance medicine is the science that investigates prevention, care, and maintenance of the specific needs of a dancer. Much like baseball pitchers require specific strengthening and stretching protocols, dancers also have needs unique to their bodies. Physical therapists can evaluate a dancer’s muscles, bones, and joints to find where his or her weaknesses may lie. SPTA therapists, specifically, have a number of resources to do this. This includes dance to medicine glossaries, screening tools, and specialists with specific dance medicine training if further care should be sought out. If you are a parent of a dancer, or a dancer yourself, do not let aches and pains go unnoticed. Contact your physician or physical therapist to find out how to best manage your injury. In the meantime, here are some tips that all dancers and parents should follow: 1. Always take good care of your feet! Keep them clean and dry when not dancing and always take extra care of your dance footwear as well. 2. When not dancing or performing, dancers should wear supportive footwear or orthotics if appropriate. 3. Regarding dance en pointe (ballet with pointe shoes), beginners should start training no earlier than 11 or 12. This ensures proper maturation of the foot to enhance safety and health of the dancer. Also, the length of time appropriate to begin pointe should be around 30-60 minutes, 1-2x/week. Every ballet school and instructor will differ; however, it may be a good idea to start point work AFTER a full ballet barre, for the final 30-45 minutes of class. This ensures that the feet and body are properly warmed up. 4. Dancers should slowly adopt new training schedules. 5. Most dance related injuries are brought on by overuse. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize early symptoms. If pain or swellings persists after a few days, stop activity and contact your physician. 6. Rest your body adequately after an intense practice or class to allow it to recover. For specific questions or lecture/screening opportunities, contact Melissa Buffer, MSPT at either the Northeastern office (617-399-7330) or the Wellesley office (781-237-5585). She will also be starting treatment in our new Cambridge facility near Central Square. Contact the Northeastern office for information about booking an appointment in Cambridge. Melissa is a dancer herself in the Boston based dance company, The Rainbow Tribe. She has also spent countless hours researching this area and has studied with pioneers in the area of dance medicine. | 
