DD has sustained a horrible dance injury

[JufusMum]

DD age 14 is a competitive freestyle disco dancer, training 15-20 hours a week, no real friends at school - dance is her only solace.

She sustained a horrible fall in class on Saturday possible fracture to the wrist and something to her knee, not sure what until we see fracture clinic tomorrow but knee is enormous and looks very wrong!

She is splinted up with one crutch (due to wrist) but 48 hours in she is VERY down. Really upset about not being able to dance or practise, we've had the chat about resting properly and not rushing so she doesn't do permanent damage, and also about how it's just an injury and there are lost of people worse off, the terrorist attacks etc, but she is breaking her heart - any advice?

Aww, I am really sorry to hear that, I hope she heals very quickly. You're of course right about her having to rest it carefully and recover carefully. What have they said about her knee? Can you seek her teachers advice about when she might be fit for some pilates/strengthening? Has she got dance friends who might come and visit her?

How awful for her. Would it be worth finding a local dance-focused physio, to help her recover, once you've been to the fracture clinic? It might feel at least like doing something positive.

And is there anyone at her dance school who has had a serious injury and come back form it who could talk to her, and understand her worries etc?

Thanks all, she is going into dance tonight to watch/help the teacher. We have an onsite physio who she sees regularly anyway. We don't really know the extent of the injury until we see the Ortho surgeon tomorrow, A&E was so busy on Saturday and they are not specialists - so they didn't want to say for definite what is wrong. I just feel sad for her because she has a horrible time at school and dance is her everything :(

Poor thing, so sorry to hear that. To be honest, the knee sounds more worrying than the wrist for a dancer - has she had it X-rayed? If it doesn't show up anything, I'd strongly recommend an MRI scan because they can see things on that which don't show up on X-rays.

Perhaps you could ask for her to be referred to the NIDMS - the NHS specialist clinic for dance-related health and injuries. There are two clinics, one in London, the other in Birmingham.

Oh that's not nice. My dd recently had a few weeks out of dance with a broken wrist and it was almost impossible to stop her. Ds isn't allowed to dance when injured at school so I don't have that battle. I really would recommend specialist physio if possible, it makes the world of difference and the exercises will give her something to do whilst she's sitting watching the class dance. A sports physio is better than a regular one if you can't get to a dance specialist. Hope today's hospital visit wasn't too traumatic.

Huge sympathies to her. Dd had a sprained Last November & wS off dance for several weeks. She only went back on pointe at Easter. Her school are very strict about recovery. They also insist she has private medical cover so she can access physio straightcaway.

Whilst injured she spent a lot of time doing strengthening & core excercises.

I think it is very difficult for 'highly committed' dancers who injure themselves, because dance is often where their freinds are as well as their main activity.

Can she be involved at the dance school in another way while recovering e.g. help coach the younger ones, volunteer to help with admin, do some choreography for others, whatever the teacher can suggest? Although it's hard for the not dancing, at least being in and out of the studios and feeling they're 'there' in some sense may help with the inevitable isolation?

Your poor DD, hope it starts to feel better soon. Our DD ended up on crutches last year and found these really useful on her crutches here

Dance teacher has been great, she went in for five hours Saturday and is doing the music/mentoring younger ones.

Hospital have just told me minimum of 4 weeks for an MRI scan so we are reluctantly moving her over to our private healthcare with a £500 excess ouch.

She's proper grumpy though :(

Glad to hear that her school are being helpful and supportive

Hopefully the scan won't show up anything too drastic, and at least there are only a few weeks left this term, and she will then be able to rest and recuperate over the summer. Once you have results, it would be a good idea if you can find someone who specialises in dancers' injuries who can advise on any treatment.

The most important thing would be for her to take things very slowly and steadily when she is allowed to start dancing again, and to not go back too soon. Swimming and pilates might help her maintain fitness in the meantime, without putting a strain on the injury. Things like this can easily turn into chronic problems if the injury isn't fully healed. Best of luck.

(Speaking as the parent of a vocational dancer currently recovering from long-term injury issues).

dodo...Thank you, sadly we do not have a summer break but DD has set herself a goal of competing again in August. Big weekend comp in October so that is her ultimate goal.

MRI on Friday so fingers crossed!

Physically her body is adapting to missing the endorphins that exercising will create.

I'm not sure how to deal with that however I did read a study once that suggested doing the dances in your mind kept the muscle memory good and even worked better than physio in some cases.

October might be more achievable than August - to give you an idea, my dc was injured six months ago and still isn't back to full dance (and that is with the help of physio, pilates and rehab team at a full-time vocational dance school).

dodo - oh dear that is a long time!

My poor DD is just feeling so very down, off school this week too because to many stairs at school that she cannot manage - and no lifts!

She has a new partner for pairs too and they have literally had one private lesson and then the injury, so she feels bad for letting him down too, and the week before the injury I bought her a new solo for doing so well in her English Lit GCSE (sat a year early) and she just keeps gazing at it and looking sad :(

Physio physio physio and loads of rehab! Use it (carefully, managed, within very strict limits) or lose it.

Says the rugby player who did bugger all physio on torn mcl and now still has issues.

If she's planning on making a career out of dance, then she really has to give it enough time to heal properly. Is she Y10? Then she's got plenty of time if she's auditioning for 18+ entry. There is nothing worse than an old injury flaring up in the middle of auditions or at the start of a new course - this happened to a couple of people we know, and both were successful in their auditions, but due to long-term issues have had to change career direction.

It is really tempting to go back too soon, especially if there is a big event looming, but it really isn't worth it.

As Nagsandovalballs says, she needs to keep moving, but for now she can concentrate on keeping her core strength and flexibility. Pilates, pilates and more pilates (and swimming). If you can find anywhere that does floor barre then that would be good too, as it is non-weight-bearing.

Best of luck for Friday, and mention to them when you are there that she is an elite dancer as they will then take a closer look than they might for a run-of-the-mill member of the general public. Lay it on thick.

Thanks dodos.

She is not considering dance as a career (other than taking IDTA Associate exam at 16 for her CV and to have something to show for years of dance). She does Disco Freestyle as well so no particularly recognised for vocational school.
She wants to join police force so fitness from dance will be helpful.

She has a shocking time at school - academic but very unpopular, one of the "not-cool" kids, all friends at dance, they have been brilliant with visits etc.

So although it's not a career-focus, it's her world right now especially with GCSE stress looming in September (she has sat English Lit already) - she's just missing being part of it. But I will lay it on thick with consultant and might look for the floor barre classes. Thank you!

DS1 (competes nationally at his dance) had an accident which could have been so much worse than it was (he knocked himself out, needed stitches in his head and damaged the right side of his body including his leg and arm). He helped out at his dance school, did rehab in the gym instead of PE at school and spent a lot of time watching YouTube type videos and choreographing routines for himself and the younger dancers.

Fingers crossed she's on the mend and sending you strength and

Thanks 2gorgeousboys.

Now ensconced with a dance physio at £450 for the course eeek. DD says he is very good, she is still on the crutches but looking at a return to competing September. She is now going in to learn team routines for a festival in October.
She's still pretty down though, summer holidays will be grim if she can't dance.

Your poor dd.

Totally agree with those who have said go to physio who specialises in dance.

And on a completely different note - my dd has given up dance now - but has a close friend who is intending to make it her career. This friend has had two injuries and during her recovery time, to completely take the focus away from "missing out", her mother encouraged her to embark on "recovery projects". The first time she started to learn to play the piano (which she continues to play). And the second time, she took up sewing. She said it really helped to turn her mental attitude around i.e. something productive came out of her temporary stand-down.