It is no surprise that Strictly Come Dancing star Artem Chigvintsev is being cautious about returning to the dance floor after experiencing a joint and soft tissue injury to his back.

Previously misdiagnosed as having a spinal fracture, this kind of wear and tear is common amongst dancers, as they are essentially using their joints much more vigorously than the rest of us.

Yet whilst a bad back may leave us cooped up in bed for a few weeks, for a dancer, the need to continue performing can often lead to them using strongly prescribed anti-inflammatories to mask the pain, rather than treat the cause. And in the long term this can cause permanent damage.
What can I do?

If you are a dancer reading this article, then you are probably wondering what you can do to alleviate your joint pain and prevent further injury.

The key is recognising your limits and knowing when to take a step away from the stage so you can stop your joint injury from getting worse.

Most pain relief treatments for dancers involve a balance of rest, gentle exercise and physiotherapy under the guidance of a physiotherapist or a health practitioner. They can help you to understand your limitations and arrange an injury management scheme that will efficiently help you to get back on your feet.

Managing Your Pain Without Drugs

Drugs are not always the solution to managing your joint pain as proven by the fact that NSAIDS can slow down the healing of fractures (something no dancer wants to hear).

If you’d prefer to treat your joint pain naturally, then the following tips can help:

• RICE – this regime combines rest, ice, a compression and elevation and works best on small injuries.
• Massage – whether you have injured your back, ankles or knees, massage can help improve circulation to this injured area and prevent the build up of deposits.

• Acupuncture – this type of joint pain relief is becoming increasingly popular amongst dancers. You just need to be careful that you employee a qualified acupuncturist who specialises in joint injuries.

• Reflexology – similar to acupuncture, make sure you are treated by a trained reflexologist.

Hot/cold presses – this treatment can easily be continued in the comfort of your own home. Simply apply a hot press to loosen your joints and ligaments and a cold press to reduce inflammation.

Using Painkillers

Despite your best intentions, sometimes it is impossible to go without a painkiller, especially if you have injured your knees or ankles as you will always be applying some amount of weight.

To experience some form of joint pain relief, your physiotherapist may recommend taking the following:

Paracetamol – you can easily get this over the counter and without prescription

NSAIDS – these can help to reduce inflammation in cases of arthritis, tendonitis and muscle strain, as well as ease pain. However as mentioned before, they can slow down the healing of fractures, so only use strong NSAIDS as a last resort. Common ones include (aspirin, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac sodium, Indometacin and ketoprofen).

As a dancer it is important that you take care of your joints and that you take the necessary steps to protecting yourself from further injury. So begin by trying the natural remedies first before progressing onto NSAIDS. More importantly, take a lead out of Artem’s book and don’t try to do too much too soon. Push yourself too far and you could cause permanent damage.

This article was written on behalf of a joint pain and neck pain relief supplier.

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