As dancers, we ask a variety of our our bodies, and our spines take middle stage in each motion. The human backbone is made up of 33 bones — 26 if we rely the fused sacrum and coccyx — divided into the cervical (7), thoracic (12), lumbar (5), sacral (5), and coccygeal (4) areas. It offers us mobility in all instructions, homes our spinal twine, and connects to muscular tissues and fascia that help motion.
However what occurs when one thing goes mistaken? The decrease again is a standard website for ache, and we will see accidents resembling stress fractures, disc points, and nerve irritation. Why does this occur? The identical motive it does for all areas of the physique; there may be extra stress on this space that the tissues can’t deal with!
The backbone works as an entire
Joints don’t operate in isolation — they depend on their neighbours to all contribute and transfer in concord. For a joint to maneuver freely, those round it should even have good mobility. If one joint lacks motion, one other will compensate by transferring an excessive amount of, creating extreme stress and potential damage. In dance, the place excessive ranges of movement are the norm, this imbalance can develop into an issue.
We ideally desire a small quantity of motion throughout many joints fairly than extreme motion at only one or two. In dancers, hassle spots usually seem at L4/L5 (decrease again) and T12/L1 (thoracolumbar junction) as a result of these areas have a tendency to soak up an excessive amount of movement when the remainder of the backbone isn’t contributing sufficient.
Stability vs. Rigidity
True spinal stability doesn’t imply bracing or locking up. It’s about having management and help whereas permitting full motion in three dimensions — ahead/backward, side-to-side, and rotationally. That is the place our deep stabilizing muscular tissues, Multifidus and Transversus Abdominis, come into play. They information movement fairly than block it.
Recognizing nerve ache
Nerve ache usually appears like pins and needles, numbness, sharp burning, or an “odd” sensation. These are warning indicators — by no means push via them! In case your again ache lasts greater than every week, worsens, or is accompanied by nerve-like signs, search skilled assist. Ignoring these indicators can result in extra critical points that impression your means to bounce.
Examine in together with your backbone
Ask your self: Can my backbone transfer freely in all instructions? If one space is stiff, the place would possibly my physique be compensating? Classical and business dance types each emphasize spinal extension — however does your extension come from all the joints working collectively, or is many of the motion concentrated in a couple of weak spots?
By bettering full-body mobility and strengthening deep stabilizers, you possibly can maintain your backbone wholesome and dancing for years to come back. Transfer good, transfer robust, and let your entire backbone dance with you!
How nicely do you truly perceive the backbone? This video is a pleasant primary anatomy overview:
Mobilize your backbone in sagittal airplane. How nicely are you able to truly transfer? What areas are sticky? What strikes an excessive amount of? This can be utilized for an evaluation and in addition the therapy as a mobilizer. This video exhibits sagittal airplane movement:
Proceed to evaluate and mobilize your backbone with kind 1 & kind 2 spinal movement. These mobilizers not solely encourage genuine motion within the backbone but in addition enable the muscular tissues to elongate after which shorten in response to motion of our skeleton.
By Sally Harrison, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, Corrective Train Coach, Private Coach, Pilates Educator, of Band-ITS & Strength4Dance.
