David Roberts, managing director of David Roberts Physiotherapy, says the festive season always brings an increase in ankle, knee and back injuries and the current fashion for killer heels and daring Psy-inspired dance moves will see injuries rise this year.
Inspired by everyone from Strictly Come Dancing to Rihanna, men and women are being more daring on the dance floor than ever before.
“It’s a tricky combination, especially when you throw in a little bit of Dutch courage. The guys want to move like Psy and the girls like Beyonce! Dance floor dislocation is not as crazy as it sounds.”
Dave says the ten most common dance-related injuries his team will come across this festive season are:
1) Tango tendonitis – generally affects the Achilles tendons and knees, caused by repetitive up and down movements
2) Conga calf – usually suffered by groups of people after over exuberant twists and turns
3) Jive spine – usually suffered when ” Dad dancing ” – men trying to lift their dance partners
4) Rumba Lumbar – localised pain in the lower back caused by jerky pelvic rotations
5) Brent elbow – usually suffered by men after imitating their comedy hero
6) Latin Lurch – similar to Rumba wrench
7) Cha Cha knee – caused by repeated and abrupt twists and turns and basically just “going for it”
8) Hip Hop hip – a recent phenomenon experienced by aging street dancers
9) Ankle twist and shout – mainly caused by killer heels
10) Salsa sprain – affect all muscle groups, generally caused by dancing all night long!
“We want people to have fun this Christmas but you must be aware that a few sensible measures after a party injury could ensure you don’t end up with long-term injuries” adds Roberts.
Top tips to treat party prangs
1. Rest and call for help to get you home or to your GP
2. Place a bag of ice over the injured part for about 20 minutes
3. Wrap a bandage/ towel around the ice to provide compression to the injury
4. Elevate the injured part – knee, ankle especially, so your toes are above your nose.
“If an injury or niggle doesn’t go away after a week then I’d strongly advise a trip to the physio to get you moving on the dance floor again!”
To find out more information visit, http://www.davidrobertsphysiotherapy.co.uk
