Pre-screening for dancers

Every year as the new Fall season starts it is great thing for all dancers, who are motivated to excel in their sport, to take inventory of their current physical health. It is good to be able to identify areas in their physical well-being that they are doing well with, which are their strengths and then to also be able to see what areas that are weak in, so they can have success in the dance world this season.

Last year when we performed our pre-screening, certain key elements were apparent in the screening, such as a loss of flexibility in the calf muscle group and weaknesses in the core trunk and hip muscles during single leg standing. One surprising thing that was evidenced was the lack of balance that occurred with our dancers when they did the eyes closed test. Another interesting piece that surfaced was the lack of foot intrinsic muscle strength and control. These points were important discoveries for our dancers and we were able to educate and address these issues with our dancers and their families so that they could improve their training and better understand their bodies and how they work.

The typical screening consists of:

1. General medical history and any history of orthopedic injuries that might affect their dance health.

2. Psychological and nutritional history which is very age related as we are well aware of the challenges dancers face.

3. Cardiovascular test for heart rate health when challenged.

4. Postural alignment and growth patterns.

5. Agility tests for quick, fast reaction times.

6. Mobility tests of the spine, hips, feet and shoulders.

7. Functional strength tests for core trunk, hip, foot and shoulder power and endurance.

8. Balance tests on single leg and bilateral legs, on toes, heels, etc.

9. How to recognize injuries, Prevention education and nutritional handouts.

Call our Coeur d'Alene office to reserve your time slot at (208) 667-1988 for this Saturday Oct. 8, 2016 from 9am to 1 pm in our Coeur d'Alene office. Screening takes about 1/2 hour and then you will have access to our educational programs for dancers throughout the season to help you improve your overall health and wellness needs. Insurance and cash is accepted for the pre-screening evaluation.

•••

Sheree DiBiase, PT, is the owner of Lake City Physical Therapy in the Spokane Valley(509)891-2623, Coeur d'Alene (208)667-1988 and Hayden (208)762-4201. She and her incredible staff look forward to helping you have a great dance season by doing a pre-screening this Saturday.