Ballet Youth Sports Injuries Epidemic by Grace Sauls

It could be something as simple as, “My foot hurts”, and your dreams are vanished right before your eyes. You see it anywhere you go; whether you’re experiencing it in the moment, coming to school the next day and seeing your best friend with a sling around his arm, or observing a stranger walking with crutches underneath their arms. High school athletes suffer 2 million injuries, 500, 000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year (Kaji and Hockberger). “Most studies demonstrate a bimodal age distribution where the first peak of spinal injuries is found in young adults between 15 and 29 years of age and a second peak in adults older than 65 years of age” (1).  It’s bound to happen to anyone, it’s only a matter of time and how the force of gravity decides to treat you that day.

History

           There’s no set period of when youth injuries first begun. Injuries have been around since before Biblical time. However, after the Civil War youth injuries increased significantly due to the new sport, American football. The very first game was on November 6, 1869 at College Field, now Rutgers University (Treistman). Over the years, the sport transferred to other Universities across the states like Harvard and Penn State (Harrison). According to former Penn football player, William Harvey, “The only serious injury I received was in the game with Harvard in 1883, when in a scrimmage behind the goal I was knocked insensible, but recovered in about fifteen minutes. During the summer following, I was sick with blood gathering in the head and threatened with congestion of the brain…” (1). Early in the 21st century, concussions in sports became a public health problem, it was labeled as, “The Concussion Crisis” (1).

Ankles are the most common injury in youth following, head injuries (Admin). The most common diagnoses seen in ERs for sport injuries are strains and sprains (1). Though injuries in youth are occurring consistently and may not seem to have a huge effect on their early lives now, they can or will have an impact later in their adulthood part of life. Problems like arthritis, spine/back issues, and health challenges in general, even emotional problems can create loss of work. We are brought up by our parents to become productive members of society, which can be lost if the severe injuries we had in our youth spring back on us as we grow older. If that affects our ability to work, hold down a job, or be productive, then it will affect our income and way of life. This seems to increase job loss, impacting our society in a major way causing others to be responsible for higher taxes.

Examples

One little mistake as easily as landing your changement incorrectly, and you’ve just torn your Achilles tendon. Now, you’re on the sideline for the next few weeks watching everyone else surpass you, and better yet you’re spending lots of money taking physical therapy sessions twice a week. Though ballet is an art form, not at all a sport, it still consists of the same effects as any typical sport. Ballet is such a demand on the human body; not only are you doing movement, but you must think of: keeping your tailbone tucked in, scooping in your stomach, keeping your ribs in, turning out through your hip flexors, pointing your feet, keeping your heels on the floor when landing a jump, keeping your hips square, not sickling the foot, spotting when doing a pirouetté, and that’s only a few.

According to Preston J. Smith, M.D. and others at Houston Methodist Hospital, “39% to 53% of injuries occur in the foot and ankle, specifically” (Geier). Another very common injury in ballet is the snapping of a hip, reported by 91% dancers (1). There are two main causes when it comes to snapping a hip (1). One area of snapping the hip is on the outside part or otherwise, known as the lateral side (1). This is where the iliotibial can snap behind and in front of the greater trochanter (1). The other area of snapping is in the anterior part of the hip, where the anterior capsule of the hip joint snaps across the iliopsoas tendon (1). Not just when a ballet dancer, but any type of athlete feels that their hip is popping consistently in and out of the joint, the actual problem is that their iliopsoas tendon or iliotibial band is snapping (1).

Receiving strengthening and stretching exercises from physical therapy sessions can be very helpful to better see improvement (Geier). However, when it comes to injuries in ballet generally, the older you are or the more hours that are demanded on your body, the higher likely you are to receive an injury. “Amateur dancers have 0.97 injuries per 1000 dance hours. Professional dancers have a higher incidence of injuries - 1.24 injuries per 1000 dance hours. Combined, amateur and professional dancers suffer 1.09 injuries for 1000 dance hours” (1).

While still young, it is much easier for the body to have an injury and recover quickly, rather than when you’re in your late twenties, or more likely thirties, it can take a few years, or you may never fully recover. Therefore, it is so critical for ballet dancers at a young age to speak up if they feel anything hurting unusually in their body. The sooner you can address the problem, the sooner you will also learn how to prevent an injury like what occurred in previous history. “Dancers call it muscle memory. And while it obviously manifests itself physically as far as dance is concerned, what happens, according to neuroscientists, is that the movements become thoroughly mapped in the brain, creating a shorthand between thinking and doing” (Solway). Muscle memory, “the ability to repeat a specific muscular movement with improved efficiency and accuracy that is acquired through practice and repetition” (Muscle Memory).

Solutions

            With all the technology accessible to our hands, there are more ways now to prevent injuries from occurring. Over the years, research has further advanced, placing us in a higher advantage to where others were decades, even hundreds of years ago. A campaign S.T.O.P, Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention. (International…) This organization has helped many in information on how to prevent sport injuries, centered for youth (1). “The development of STOP (Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention) Sports Injuries was initiated by the American Orthopaedical Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) in early 2007” (1). James R. Andrews, MD, co-campaign chair and renowned orthopaedical surgeon, and members of the Society’s Board of Directors, decided that the epidemic of youth injuries was becoming a serious problem for its members to consider (1).

In late 2009, the Board made a committee to investigate which certain activities needed to be developed (International…). The Board teamed up with organizations including the American Pediatrics, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, SAFE Kids USA, the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America, and the Sports Physical Therapy Section (1). “These organizations shared AOSSM’s concern about the increase in youth sports injuries and came together under the common goal to STOP Sports Injuries” (1). This program not only includes their formative website, but through newsletters, posters, brochures, and public service announcement (1). As for ballet dancers, it is so important to take the time to ensure your body’s health by taking care of yourself constantly. It is highly critical as a ballet dancer to have a proper warm-up before rehearsal or a performance, and to have a proper cool down afterwards. Not being warm before dancing can lead to injuries, the most common, the pulling of a muscle. It’s important to know your limitations and listen to your body.

The most common procedure ballet dancers go to is a protocol called R.I.C.E. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Dancers go to this method anytime they are feeling pain anywhere from knee down. You should repeat R.I.C.E. 3 times or more a day. (Rest, Ice, Compression…)  “After 48 to 72 hours, if swelling is gone, apply heat to the area that hurts” (1). I find this protocol very helpful, not just for dancers, but for all athletes. Football players have some similarities to ballet dancers, they too must rest if anything is hurting by listening to their body. Some ways to prevent injuries for football players include: wear proper equipment, stay active all season, and be sure to incorporate strength training along with stretching (Football Injuries).

Camus and Absurdity

          Camus’ mind worked in ways most of our society will never understand. He referred to “What is the meaning of existence?” in all his pieces of work (Maguire). The social epidemics of youth injuries has not much to do with this topic, which is simply just the cycle of the youth of our society injuring themselves and recovering their bodies later. Absurdity has nothing to do with this topic, either. Ridiculousness and foolishness don’t tie in with youth injuries. This subject is very serious matter. You only have one body (your tool in life) that God has blessed you with, meaning you must take care of for all your life. However, Camus himself was a fan of sports, considering he was a football player (Lea). He played in goal for the Racing Universitaire Algerios (RUA) junior team (1) . Suddenly, all of Camus’ hopes for playing professionally were killed when he contracted Tuberculosis (TB) (1) . At that time, no cures had been discovered, leaving Albert suffering long periods of bed-rests after receiving attacks (1) .  In the 1950s, Albert was asked to write a few words about his time with the RUA by an alumni sports magazine (1) . These were his words: “After many years during which I saw many things, what I know most surely about morality and the duty of man I owe to sport and learned it in the RUA” (1) . After reading this, it is assumed that Albert Camus would appreciate this topic, as he witnessed personal experience.

It is critical to take care of your body, especially in your youth years. Whatever injuries you receive in your early years could affect you later in life, effecting your job and overall income. Youth injuries have steadily increased over time, but with all the technology and information out these days it seems that more of my pupils would know how to take care of their body better. Perhaps there is too much pressure when it comes to sports these days. With new organizations like S.T.O.P. for example, the social epidemic of youth injuries can be decreased over time.

                                                                

                                                                    Works Cited

 Admin. “Sports Injuries In Youth: How To Stop Them - [Graph].” Defense Soap, 16 June 2016, http://blog.defensesoap.com/athletes/sports-injuries-in-youth-how-to-stop-them/. 

“Football Injuries.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 1, no. 2258, 9 Apr. 1904, pp. 853–854.,

www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/NCAA_Football_Injury_WEB.pdf.   

Geier, Dr. David. “Important Facts about Bone and Joint Injuries in Ballet | Dr. David Geier - Sports Medicine Simplified.” Important Facts about Bone and Joint Injuries in Ballet, 2017 Dr. David Geier Enterprises, LLC, 30 July 2015, www.drdavidgeier.com/ballet-injuries/.

Harrison, Emily A. “The First Concussion Crisis: Head Injury and Evidence in Early American Football.” American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, May 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3987576/.

International, Inc. Advanced Solutions. “About STOP Sports Injuries.” STOP Sports Injuries, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. www.stopsportsinjuries.org/STOP/About/STOP/About/STOP_Sports_Injuries.aspx

 Kaji, Amy, and Robert S Hockberger. “Spinal Column Injuries in Adults: Definitions, Mechanisms, and Radiographs.” Spinal Column Injuries in Adults: Definitions, Mechanisms, and Radiographs, 2017 UpToDate, Inc., www.uptodate.com/contents/spinal-column-injuries-in-adults-definitions-mechanisms-and-radiographs.

Lea, Simon. “Albert Camus and Football.” Albert Camus | Football, Camus Society, 2006, www.camus-society.com/camus-football.html.

Maguire, Laura. "Camus and Absurdity." Philosophy Talk. Philosophy Talk, 28 Feb. 2015. Web. https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/camus-and-absurdity.

“Muscle Memory.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muscle%20memory.

“Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE) - Topic Overview.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/first-aid/tc/rest-ice-compression-and-elevation-rice-topic-overview.

Solway, Diane. “How the Body (and Mind) Learns a Dance.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 May 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/05/28/arts/28iht-dance.html?pagewanted=all.

“Sports-Related Injuries among High School Athletes.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Sept. 6ADAD, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5538a1.htm.