Diagnosis and treatment in dancers

Dancers present problems that develop slowly and require a specialized approach for diagnosis and treatment. Five hundred dancers were evaluated at the author's clinic over a nine-year period. They were treated for their particular complaint and were also observed to determine other possible conditions associated with spine, hip, knee, ankle, and foot. Most of the problems occurring in dancers develop subtly over a period of time rather than through a single traumatic episode. Considerable time often elapsed before a diagnosis was made because complaints of pain were suppressed. Techniques of bone scanning and computerized tomographic (CT) scanning are now used as daily tools in diagnosis and treatment. Foot and ankle problems were most commonly observed. Poor dance technique and lack of self-discipline were often responsible for exacerbation of otherwise mild symptoms from overuse syndromes. A working knowledge of dance and the artistic personality is important in the diagnosis and treatment of dancers' injuries.