Physical Therapy vs. Performance Training for Dancers

Dr. Chelsea Moehlenbrock Author

There are some misconceptions around the needs of dancers and their training. Since starting my own business as a dance physical therapist (PT) I’ve noticed some confusion about when it is an appropriate time to come see me. I see many dancers wait too long to seek my help. This leaves them either with an injury that’s taking too long to heal or they find that they aren’t progressing towards their goals and getting frustrated.

I was guilty of this mindset too as a young dancer. I never liked going to doctors. I used the “wait and see” method many times just hoping the pain would go away in a week or so, but that did not always happen.

At this point, physical therapists have at least seven years of higher education to get their doctorate and their license. They are trained to diagnose and treat many musculoskeletal conditions and take the time to look at the big picture relating to your symptoms. Many states allow direct access to physical therapists now too, meaning you do not need a referral from your doctor. This also means going to a dance physical therapist could save you time and hassle if you go directly to them.

However, many people forget these professionals can use their vast knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics to help athletes improve higher performance skills. Not all physical therapists work within the sports and high performance realm, but those that classify themselves as dance physical therapists certainly do. I divide my work into two main categories: physical therapy and performance training.

Physical therapy is for when a dancer has an injury that affects their ability to dance. If a dancer is modifying or skipping anything in class, that’s when physical therapy is needed. Physical therapy focuses on figuring out what is contributing to a dancer’s pain. To do this, I assess the range of motion of joints, strength of muscles, proprioception of joints, alignment, overall mobility, ability to control that mobility, as well as any fears or hesitations with certain movements. Then I analyze how all these pieces affect the big picture, also taking into account nutrition, hydration, and sleep.

Physical therapy gets you out of pain and back to feeling like yourself again. However, that’s not the end of the journey. In the chart above, as a dancer progresses back to their normal confident dancing they typically hesitate with certain movements or hit a plateau in their progress which can be frustrating. That’s where performance training can help.

Performance training for dancers is focused on improving their overall fitness and higher level skills. This can be improving general strength or more focused on specific elements of dancing, such as jump height, developpe height, or balance. A strengthening program that targets a dancer’s general fitness level, prepares the entire body for more difficult dance classes, more challenging choreography, and helps prevent injuries.

Many athletes spend time with their coaches on the field or court practicing drills and skills related to their sport. This can be compared to a dancer in technique classes and rehearsals with their instructors. Athletes also spend time with a strength and conditioning coach in a gym to build their strength so that they have greater capacity to perform better during practice and in games. However, this is often where dancers are missing out. Many dancers do not get enough of the strength and conditioning component in their training and very few actually work with someone specialized in strength training.

Dancers do not have to be injured to work with a dance PT. In fact, if you work with a dance PT on performance training, then you are less likely to need them as a physical therapist since you will be stronger and less likely to get injured! You will also learn tools for when you do get injured.

I strongly encourage dancers to get consistent strength training into their regular schedules. This will look different for everyone. It may mean consistently:

• doing exercises on your own,

• or having a trainer develop a program for you that you then follow on your own,

• or working one-on-one with a trainer, strength coach, or dance PT,

• or participating in a group strengthening program.

Each of these methods has its benefits. Working one-on-one will definitely be more individualized. Overall, my hope for the dance community is to understand that performance training is highly necessary for our artistic athletes and that strength and conditioning is not something that can be skipped. As a dance physical therapist, I love sharing my expertise to guide a dancer through the injury recovery process, but there is so much more that can continue to build with performance training. 

So when is it a good time for dancers to work with a dance PT? Answer: whenever they have goals they are working towards and ready for some guidance to get there 🙂