Stress Fractures

A stress fracture is a bone injury that occurs at a spot in the bone that is exposed to high or repetitive forces. These forces either come from external sources (like impact with the ground when you walk, run, or jump) or from internal sources (like muscles/tendons pulling on the bone). Specific spots of bones may be more susceptible to stress fractures than others due to mechanics/form while performing specific tasks or due to cyclical weaknesses that occur naturally as a part of the bone’s remodeling process.

Resting from Activity

Many injuries need time off from physical activity to heal. However, this does not always mean completely stopping all activities and losing conditioning simply due to an injury.

Orthotics

When the foot’s natural structure is compromised or the foot functions improperly, pain and injury can occur either in the foot itself or elsewhere in the body (usually in the knee, hip, or lower back). This pain and injury can be corrected – or even avoided – through the proper use of orthotics.

The orthotic accommodates for or corrects specific structural or mechanical problems, bringing the lower body into alignment and allowing for efficient joint mechanics and correct force transmission.

Building Bone Safely

Bone injuries can be debilitating to the performing artist, but understanding how bone tissue grows, remodels, and heals can help direct preventative measures aimed at reducing the occurrence of injuries such as stress fractures.

Workouts at the Pool

Pool workouts are a great way to cross-train. But what do you do during a “pool workout”? Much like land-based workouts at the gym, you can do practically whatever you’d like. Exercising in the pool can improve your endurance, your sprinting ability (from a cardiovascular standpoint), your sprint endurance, or even your muscular strength and tone.

Hamstring Strains

The hamstring muscle group is located on the back of the thigh, running from the ischial tuberosity (the “butt bone”) to either side of the front of the tibia (shin bone), just below the knee joint. There are three muscles that make up the hamstrings muscle group (on each side) – the biceps femoris, semitendinosis, and semimembranosis. For the purposes of this article, “hamstrings” indicates all three of these muscles collectively. The hamstrings are 2-joint muscles, crossing and affecting movement at both the hip and knee joints.

Primary functions of the hamstrings are to:

• flex the knee (bend the knee by bringing the heel up toward the butt)
• extend the hip (bringing your leg backwards)
• control lowering the trunk when bending forward
• decelerate leg swing during walking and running

Hydrate Throughout the Day

So, you already know what dehydration can do to your body and your performance. You also know that you need to hydrate throughout the day in order to replenish what you lost the previous day and to prepare yourself for the coming day’s activities. However, you may not know what proper hydration is or how to hydrate before, during, and after rehearsals, workouts, and performances.