The Importance of Massage for Dancers

Overuse Injuries in Dance

Overuse injuries occur because muscles are worked hard during training, rehearsal or performance and are not rested fully. In the next class, rehearsal or performance the muscles are not fully recovered from the last session. It is as important to have a high quality recovery practice to maintain wellbeing and enhance your true potential. Overuse is the most common cause of muscular imbalances and injury in dance. If these are not noticed early on they can impair performance or worse can lead to chronic injures.

Recovery from Physical Activity

Instinctively the body heals itself it performs the recovery process through circulation of the blood flushing out waste products that build up in the muscles during intense physical activity. It provides nutrients and repairs any tissue damage however this process takes time and a rest period is necessary. Dancers’ schedule often makes this required rest period very difficult to achieve. Massage is a safe and effective method of speeding up the recovery process.

Benefits of Massage for Dancers:

• Massage aids and speed up the body’s natural recovery process
• Massage helps prevent injury
• Massage enhances performance by releasing muscular tension
• Massage aid the healing process with minor soft tissue injuries

Massage can be an integral element to a dancers training or work schedule. If the dancer of company can budget for it, massage sessions by a qualified therapist can be programmed into training, rehearsal and performance schedule. However understanding time and money restraints dancers’ face I suggest learning and practicing simple self massage techniques as this can benefit dancers greatly.

Why Self-Massage for Dancers

Massage is extremely effective for releasing muscle tension and restoring balance to the musculoskeletal system. Regular massage may help prevent injuries as a constant build-up of tension in the muscles from regular activity may lead to stresses on joints, ligaments, tendons, as well as the muscles themselves. Self massage improves they way you feel and enhances your performance, simple self massage techniques can help aid recovery and release muscular tension.

It is important to learn simple massage skills to be able to incorporate massage into your training and it is important to have a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology, especially the muscular and skeletal systems. By understanding these systems and the effects of exercise you can also appreciate how massage benefits you and why it should become an integral part of your dance training and can ultimately enhance your performance. The wonderful aspect about self massage is it is instinctive and easy to learn as you are learning about your own body’s needs.

When Not To Massage

There are times when massage could be detrimental rather than beneficial to you.

The basic contraindications to massage are:

• Feeling unwell or body temperature over 100°F
• Injury, wounds, recent bruising, muscle tears or sprains
• Bacterial infection or other infections
• If you react adversely to massage treatment
• If your suffer any symptoms seek advice from a doctor

Massage Techniques

There are many massage techniques but generally they are applied with the main pressure being directed towards the heart. This ensures that no undue pressure of blood being pushed against closed valves causes any damage to them. Exceptions to this rule, for example, compression is where pressure is applied directly downwards for a short time therefore no risk of the build up of pressure or damage to blood vessels.

Massage Techniques include:

• Strokes
• Brushing
• Compression
• Squeezing
• Stretching
• Shaking

Self Massage Tips

• The basic movements comprise stroking and brushing with gentle pressure
• Use a wide surface area of the palm of the hand and fingers
• Hold the muscle being massaged in a relaxed and shortened position
• Squeeze the muscle and stroke up the limb e.g. leg. Always apply pressure with stokes towards the heart
• On the return, you maintain, light contact and avoid the path taken on the upward stroke
• Your hands are relaxed and softly moulded around the natural contours of your body
• Perform passive stretches to the muscle groups after you have massaged them
• Note if you feel acute pain, if so STOP and seek medical advice

Benefits of Self Massage:

• warms muscle tissue
• increases blood flow
• improve flexibility
• stimulates peripheral nerves
• helps alleviate stress
• relieves muscle soreness
• increases range of motion
• aids muscle relaxation

All techniques need to be learnt under the supervision of a qualified massage therapist.

As a dancer you can enhance your dance ability, boost your health and vitality, reduce muscle soreness, prevent the risk of injury and increase your dance performance through a regular practice of self massage.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this web page is intended as general guidance and information only. Laura Stanyer and its authors accept no liability for any loss, injury or damage however incurred as a consequence, whether directly or indirectly, of the use this information. All advice on this web page should only be used under the supervision of a qualified dance / fitness / healthcare professional.