COMMON INJURIES IN DANCERS
Marisa Hentis PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS
Brooke Winder, PT, DPT, OCS
Dancers are aesthetic athletes who are highly susceptible to musculoskeletal injuries
throughout their careers. Dance requires a combination of high-level strength, flexibility, and
coordination, and dancers must complete intense performance activities while simultaneously
making them appear effortless. They also spend hours during classes, rehearsals, and
performances repeating similar tasks in order to perfect their art form. 20%-84% of professional
dancers have at least one musculoskeletal injury in their career,
1
and professional dancers can
expect to be injured at least once per year.
2
Overuse injuries are common in dancers
3
likely due to the high volumes of training,
decreased rest breaks, and the lack of an “off-season.” Dancers often use their “rest breaks” to
supplement their training programs with summer or winter intensives or practicing multiple
genres throughout the week.
4
Overtraining patterns can lead to chronic pain and overuse injuries
if not addressed by a healthcare provider.
Foot and Ankle
Ankle Sprain
Up to 77% of dance injuries occur in the lower extremity
.5
The foot and ankle is the most
common area of injury in many dance forms,
1,3
with sprains, tendinopathies, and stress fractures
occurring frequently. Ankle sprains are the most common, particularly in ballet and modern
dancers.
6
This injury is often attributed to an unexpected landing from a jump or a turn,
improper alignment of the foot and ankle during demi-pointe or pointe work, or poorly fitted
shoes. Despite ankle sprains being common in the performing arts, many dancers do not seek
medical advice and they often experience long-term problems after ankle sprains.
3,6
Tendinopathies and Posterior Impingement
Tendinopathies or tendinitis of the foot and ankle in dancers is often related to muscle-
tendon overuse and an imbalance of muscle strength. Common tendinopathies in dancers occur
at the Achilles tendon and the Flexor Hallucis Longus.
5
Overuse at the Achilles tendon occurs
from repetitive landing from jumps, and over-performed demi plie and grand plie. The Flexor
Hallucis Longus muscle assists dancers en pointe and in demi-pointe positions. Inflammation of
the flexor hallucis longus tendon can occur proximally near the rearfoot and/or distally at the
great toe. Flexor hallucis longus tendinitis is so common that it is called dancer’s tendinitis by
the medical community.
7
Posterior ankle impingement syndrome is also common in dancers,
usually presenting as deep posterior ankle pain aggravated by both passive and active plantar
flexion, and may occur concurrently with flexor hallucis longus tendinopathy.
8
