The nature and incidence of injuries in morris dancers

Morris dancing includes several distinct forms of vigorous traditional dance with about 5000 amateur participants in the UK and Ireland. Questionnaires were sent to over 500 registered morris sides. The response rate was 29 per cent with 129 acute injuries and 47 chronic injuries including one fatality. The commonest acute injuries were to ankle (33 per cent) and calf (22 per cent). The back was the commonest site of chronic injury, with a high contribution from occupational and other sources. Morris dancing is a relatively low-risk activity, but injuries could be prevented by improving the fitness of dancers and selecting safer surfaces to dance on. The severity of injuries could probably be reduced by seeking more and better treatment.