Preventative Treatment of Knee Injury in Early Adolescent Dancers Within the Dance Classroom
Abstract
A persistent pattern of knee pain and injury affects early adolescent dancers. Between the ages of eleven and fourteen, dancers sustain knee pain and injuries as they experience their adolescent growth spurts. Existing literature supports a connection between growth and knee injury, yet preventative actions are rarely taken. Adapting classroom practices to incorporate existing treatments for knee pain is proposed as a preventative measure. Flexibility, strength, and proprioception are identified as key treatment components that can be easily targeted within existing class structures. Classroom instruction informed by existing treatment protocols offers a promising avenue to keep early adolescent dancers healthy, happy, and dancing.
