Musculoskeletal Injury in Professional Dancers: Prevalence and Associated Factors. An International Cross-sectional Study

• Main Author: Jacobs, Craig
• Other Authors: Cassidy, J. David
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Occupational Health and Safety; Dance; 0354; 0378
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/24583

Abstract Purpose: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with injury in professional ballet and modern dancers, to explore dancers’ attitudes and perceptions of injury, and to assess if dancers are reporting their injuries and reasons for not reporting injuries. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in professional ballet and modern dance companies in Canada, Denmark, Israel, and Sweden. Results: The point prevalence of injury in dancers is high (55% ballet; 46% modern) and most have chronic pain. Years dancing professionally and rank were associated with injury in ballet dancers. Attitudes towards injury vary and some dancers are continuing to dance when injured. Greater than 15% of all injured dancers have not reported their injury. Conclusions: Injury is common in dancers and there is an urgent need to investigate interventions to help control injury and understand the long-term implications of these conditions in this population.