Dance & Performing Arts Medicine

Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports and Performing Arts Medicine is a leader in the metropolitan Washington, DC area in treating injured dancers and performers.

Dance & Performing Arts Medicine is the acknowledgement that the treatment of Dance Injuries differs from Sports Medicine. Just like Pediatric Medicine is not Adult Medicine on small people, there are marked differences in the injuries that a dancer and an athlete sustain. Dance Medicine is a growing area that respects the dedication, training, physical attributes, techniques, and specific characteristics that allow the extraordinary and beautiful skills exhibited by a pre-professional and professional dancer.  

Dance Medicine includes physical, emotional, hormonal, developmental, anatomical, biomechanical, nutritional, and psychological issues that are unique to the dancer and performer.  The interplay of these factors affects the dance injuries and recovery. There must be sensitivity to the role nutrition and technique play in the injuries dancers struggle with. To get prevent injury or to recover from an injury, allowing the dancer to resume training, rehearsing, performing and teaching requires a team approach. Often the rehabilitation involves physiotherapy, Pilates, Gyrotonics, acupuncture, osteopathic or chiropractic treatment, nutritional, technique assessment by teachers, and the dancer with their personal support group. Surgery is rarely necessary as most injuries can be successfully managed in a conservative and holistic manner.