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Learn more about sports medicine with monthly topics for athletes, parents, and coaches.
This month, we examine the unique challenges of dancers—from injury prevention in the studio, to performance, nutrition, and everything in between.
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string(5889) "Updated June 2021
Millions of people participate in gymnastics every year in the United States at a variety of skill levels. Participation in gymnastics from the recreational class level to the competitive team can provide both physical and mental benefits.
Erica Coffey, PT, MS, SCS, program director of the UPMC Centers for Rehab Services Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program and former collegiate gymnast, weighs in on the great benefits and risks of gymnastics.
Benefits of Gymnastics
Gymnastics builds physical strength, balance, flexibility, and total body coordination – as well as teaching life skills such as goal setting and the tangible benefits of working hard to successfully complete a new skill for the first time. The physical benefits of gymnastics participation can also improve one’s ability to perform in other sports. But gymnastics, like all sports, is not without risk. Most injuries occur as a result of overuse due to repetitive practice to master specific skills.
“The most common overuse injuries in gymnastics are muscle strains and tendonitis. Due to the high-flying nature of some tumbling and vaulting type skills, traumatic injuries can occur as well. Gymnastics skills that require an individual to turn upside down such as back handsprings, back tucks, and other “flipping” skills should never be performed without supervision,” Erica says.
Upper Body Injuries in Gymnastics
Gymnastics requires exceptional strength, and as a result can place excess stress on joints, especially in the upper body. Events like the vault, pommel horse, rings, and high bar for men – as well as vault and uneven bars for women – are the most likely to cause injury to the shoulders, wrists, and elbows. Injuries might include:
- Ligament sprains of the shoulder, elbow, or wrist.
- Growth plate injuries in young athletes.
- Joint dislocations of the shoulder or elbow, or wrist fractures.
- Muscle strains or tendonitis to the shoulder or elbow muscles.
Common Lower Body Injuries in Gymnastics
Hard landings and the repetitive stress of jumping and landing, especially from events such as vaulting and tumbling, can lead to lower body injuries in gymnasts.
Injuries can range from minor to severe and may include ankle and foot sprains, patellar tendonitis, or
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury – any of which can require surgery, rehabilitation, and significant time away from sport. Repeated injuries of this kind can be serious and should be addressed by a physician specializing in orthopaedics.
Back Injuries Common Among Gymnasts
“Gymnastics can be extremely enjoyable for athletes of all ages, as it promotes skill building, helps with overcoming challenges, and emphasizes perfection of movement,” Erica says.
Many gymnastics skills such as back walkovers, back handsprings, and other tumbling and vaulting type skills require repetitive back “arching” or hyperextension. Performing the high repetitions sometimes required to perfect these skills can result in overuse injuries to the back. The most common back injuries in gymnasts include:
- Muscle strains.
- Sprained ligaments.
- Stress fractures.
- Disc disorders.
Despite the risk of these injuries, long-term lower back pain in gymnasts is not common.
Safety in Gymnastics: Injury Prevention
Every year, many young people perform gymnastics without injury. Here are a few tips to help:
- Get expert coaching. Your coach should be well-versed in gymnastics safety practices and provide appropriate instructions for progressing skills and proper supervision.
- Avoid practicing high-level skills on your own without proper matting and/or supervision.
- Listen to your body. Your body sends pain signals to indicate something is wrong. Rather than try to push through, give your body time to rest and recuperate.
- Warm up, cool down, and stretch properly.
- Ensure that all equipment is functional, maintained, and used as intended.
- Be aware that people trained in first aid should be available at all gymnastics events and practices.
Care for Gymnasts at UPMC Sports Medicine
“If you experience a gymnastics injury, consider seeking care from a sports medicine professional to help you prevent more serious injury and get back to the gym safely,” Erica says.
Erica Coffey, PT, MS, SCS, is a senior physical therapist who has devoted much of her career to performing arts related injuries and rehabilitation. She received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts, where she was a member of the women’s gymnastics team. She then returned home to Pittsburgh to complete her master’s degree in physical therapy at the University of Pittsburgh.
Erica has been a physical therapist since 1998 and is a board-certified specialist in sports medicine physical therapy through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. She treats gymnasts, dancers, and everyday active people with a focus on knee, foot, and ankle injuries at the
UPMC Freddie Fu Sports Medicine Center.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment, please call 1-855-937-7678 or visit our website."
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string(152) "Gymnastics has an injury rate that rivals contact sports. Learn about upper and lower-body injuries as well as gymnastics back injuries with this guide."
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string(274) "Millions of youth participate in gymnastics every year in the United States, at a variety of levels of skill
and competition. As a sport, gymnastics builds strength, balance, and flexibility, but it also has an injury rate similar to sports such as hockey and soccer."
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Millions of youth participate in gymnastics every year in the United States, at a variety of levels of skill and competition. As a sport, gymnastics builds strength, balance, and flexibility, but it also has an injury rate similar to sports such as hockey and soccer.Read More
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string(1864) "Ballet dancers are known for their long lines, muscular bodies, and incredible flexibility — factors that allow them to leap, twist, and turn for hours at a time.
Like all athletes, dancers also risk injuries during practices and performances, which may result from overuse or poor mechanics.
When a dancer is injured the goal is twofold: Come back to performing as soon as possible, as well as maintain fitness and balanced nutrition with a decreased activity level.
Nutrition and Recovery for Dancers
Here are seven healthy foods injured dancers can include in their diet to help enhance recovery and preserve fitness as they heal.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is high in leucine, a branch chain amino acid that assists in protein synthesis. Greek yogurt is also packed with calcium and vitamin D to assist in bone healing, building, and rebuilding.
Tuna or Salmon
These fish contain healthy fats and omega 3s that assist in decreasing inflammation and serve as an excellent source of lean protein.
Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice is high in anthocyanins to help reduce inflammation. It also contains melatonin, which assists in a restful sleep.
Red Peppers
This vitamin C-rich veggie supports tissue repair.
Almonds
Fortified with magnesium, almonds may improve circulation, a factor that can provide further nutrients to injured areas of the body.
Sunflower Seeds
This snack is copper-rich and helps regenerate elastin-connective tissue.
Whey Protein Powder
Need some extra protein? Look for a supplement that is low in calories but high in leucine and whey isolate."
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string(40) "Nutrition for Dancers: 7 Essential Foods"
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string(120) "Like all athletes, dancers also risk injuries during practices and performances, or from poor mechanics and overuse.
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Ballet dancers are known for their long lines, muscular bodies, and incredible flexibility — factors that allow them to jump, leap, twist, and turn for hours at a time.Read More
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string(3191) "Dance differentiates itself as a performing art by combining great artistic ability with difficult physical requirements that are comparable to sports.
There are specific techniques and standard movements, as well as expressive and creative qualities and requirements in dance. The need to excel both physically and artistically creates the challenging context in which dancers work.
For many dancers, dance is their passion, artistic outlet, and vocation. Because of the highly artistic and physically demanding requirements involved in dance, dancers are a unique type of athlete. They are accurately referred to as “performing athletes.”
In the field of dance, there are multiple genres, including ballet, modern, and jazz. Dancers often begin training at a young age and progress through training in dance schools until the end of adolescence. If young dancers are especially talented, they may pursue a career in dance by auditioning for a professional company or collegiate program.
Injuries are a problem for the dancer beginning at a young age, with 43.1 percent of dancers between the ages of 10 to 18 becoming injured.
Collegiate dancers have self-reported injury rates ranging from 67 percent to 77 percent each semester. Annual injury frequencies in professional ballet and modern dancers have been reported to range from 67 percent to 95 percent.
The most commonly injured body parts are similar in studies of many types of dancers and skill levels. They include:
- Feet
- Ankles
- Lower leg
- Lower back
- Hip thigh
- The spine and upper extremities
The injury types and severity of injuries are similar among professional dancers, with the most common being overuse injuries that do not require fully stopping dance classes, rehearsals, and performances. Traumatic injuries are less common; however, they are very costly.
High rates of musculoskeletal injuries and their associated monetary, physical, and psychological costs of injury have led to the emergence of dance medicine and science as a discipline of sports medicine, with the goal of helping keep dancers healthy.
Therefore, the treatment of dancers requires a familiarity with their needs and an extensive knowledge of the culture and demands of their sport to properly diagnose injuries and return athletes quickly and safely to activity.
UPMC is proud to sponsor Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s West Side Story Suite.
Buy tickets today.
This article was written by Valerie Williams, PT, DPT, OCS, Kathleen Nachazel, ATC, and Erica Coffey, PT, MS, SCS."
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The goal of dance medicine is to keep dancers of all ages and skill sets injury free. Learn more about this emerging area of sports medicine.Watch Now
