Dance Medicine

Physical therapists who offer dance medicine are uniquely equipped to treat dancers from any genre of dance who are looking to recover from or avoid injury or enhance performance.

Dance Medicine at PTSMC

Dance Medicine is specifically tailored to helping dancers avoid injury, recover from injury, and enhance performance. Physical therapists who offer dance medicine are uniquely equipped to treat dancers from any genre of dance who are looking to recover from or avoid injury or enhance performance.

How is Dance Medicine different than typical sports PT?

Dance Medicine therapists understand the motions, terminology and demands of dance, which aren’t always common to other athletic activities. A dance medicine expert has a thorough understanding of advancements in dance science and treatment techniques, and are up to date with improvements in ongoing dance medicine research.

Dance Medicine Services

  1. Dance Evaluations/Consultations
  2. Pointe Readiness Screenings
  3. On-Site Lectures/Workshops
  4. Post-Injury Rehabilitation
  5. Backstage Performance Coverage
  6. Injury Prevention Education

What You Will Gain

  • Improved Movement Precision
  • Improved Strength
  • Improved Flexibility
  • Improved Longevity

Common Dance Injuries

  • Back Pain
  • Hip Injuries (Snapping Hip Syndrome and Hip Impingement)
  • Knee Injuries (Sprains and Tendinitis)
  • Ankle Injuries (Sprains and Tendinitis)
  • Foot Injuries (Stress Fractures)
  • Shoulder (Strains or Subluxations)

Interventions Utilized in Dance Medicine

  • Graston Technique for Soft Tissue Mobilization is an effective tool to improve soft tissue conditions from acute to chronic.
  • Trigger Point Dry Needling is a release of trigger points and tight muscles through application of direct thin needle to improve pain and movement.
  • Movement Analysis is a diagnostic assessment of movement and underlying causes of pain and dysfunctional patterns.
  • Motor Performance Training helps improve the efficiency of muscles, endurance and power.
  • Joint Mobilization provides hands-on manual skill to manage pain and improve movement at the applied segment.
  • Strength Training program that is focused and individualized.
  • Body Awareness and Control education and exercises to help dancers be more aware of their bodies and movements.
  • Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) is an innovative body-conditioning and strengthening program that has been designed to enhance students’ technique in all forms of dance by focusing on training the muscle memory required in each exercises in all forms of dance.
  • *Not every clinic offers PBT.\

The following clinics offer Dance Medicine:

  • Fairfield
  • Guilford (also offers PBT)
  • Southington (also offers PBT)
  • New Haven