The human hip area is complex and lots can go wrong if not careful, so here I have looked at hip problems in dancers.
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, and together with intricate sets of ligaments offers a ballet dancer tremendous range of motion, and at the same time also withstands great wear and tear. The hip is one of the most elegant parts of the body if you take it from an engineers perspective.
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, and together with intricate sets of ligaments offers a ballet dancer tremendous range of motion, and at the same time also withstands great wear and tear. The hip is one of the most elegant parts of the body if you take it from an engineers perspective.
There is, of course, the occasional price to be paid for all that beautiful motion that your hips afford you. There might be occasional hip problems in dancers because of strain on the hip ligaments, or more frequently the muscles in the hip area. Some ballet dancing movements can create imbalances in the hip area.
There is always differences in the strength and elasticity of the muscles in the hip and the most common conditions amongst ballet dancers include snapping hip syndrome and various other ailments.
Some ballet dancing movements can create imbalances in the hip area. There is always differences in the strength and elasticity of the muscles in the hip and the most common conditions amongst ballet dancers include snapping hip syndrome and various other ailments.
Common Hip Problems In Dancers
Snapping Hip Syndrome:
Snapping hip syndrome originates in the tight tendons in front of the hips. These tight tendons can cause the tendon over the hip joint to snap and this often makes a clicking sound. If this happens to you, you may notice tenderness or pain across the front of the hip. There will also be a pinching pain in your knees if you bring them up to your chest. Developes (unfolding of the leg) may be painful to perform.
To prevent this happening in your ballet dancing, the hip flexors and all the abductors will need to be gradually stretched and strengthened. In your ballet dancing, your torso must be correctly aligned by not overarching the lower back or tucking under. Don’t sink into the hip while standing on one leg, or hike up the hip of the working leg. Twisting the pelvis and forcing positions is also asking for trouble.
Trochanteric Bursitis:
If you have pain over the side of your hip, you could be suffering from trochanteric bursitis. This is an inflammation of the trochanteric bursa and is a common cause of hip pain in ballet dancers. The trochanteric bursa lies underneath the attachment of the broad flat bone of the femur and serves to cushion and reduce friction between the bones, tendons, and muscles.
Causes of trochanteric bursitis could be from overuse or structural imbalances in the pelvic area. Treatment will normally involve lessening the workload, and stretching and strengthening the affected areas.
Iliacus Tendonitis / Iliopsoas Syndrome:
If you have pain in the front of your hip area near your groin, you could be diagnosed with iliacus tendonitis or iliopsoas syndrome. This is common amongst younger dancers and affects the iliacus muscle at the lower portion of the iliopsoas muscle at the front of the hip.
This condition is also from overuse and increased emphasis on hip flexion and internal rotation, so it affects modern dancers more often. Anti-inflammatory medication can assist with reducing the swelling along the tendon. The ballet dancer may also need to strengthen and correct muscle imbalances, so advice from a physical therapist or athletic trainer may be well worth while.
Again, when it comes to hip problems in dancers, prevention is always better than cure, so dancer must at all costs look after their bodies to guard against injuries.
