Shoulder subluxation
Shoulder injuries are not something you think about when it comes to dancers, but it so happens that yes dancers have arms and yes they get injured too. When considering the young athlete, in conjunction with hyper mobility syndrome or generalised instability, we see shoulder subluxations.
What is a subluxation? in short, it is a partial dislocation, the joint has sagged into the full range and snapped back into place. It can happen as a consequence of lifting a heavy partner, single arm weight bearing during a routine eg. contemporary floor work, or from a traumatic episode eg. someone fell on me.
Rehabilitation is set out into phases, and depending on the severity you will see a patient anything from 6 weeks to three months following an episode. This greatly depends on whether the patient has an underlying condition that is impacting on the current injury or not. This includes previous history of injury, metabolic disease, beliefs surrounding the injury, your general health and access to resources.
When it comes to dancers, they are required to avoid lifting and floor work until the shoulder is stable again, and optimal, what we call the Glenohumeral (GHJ) and Scapulohumeral rhythm. It can be frustrating for students to be held back in class, and deconditioning is something they can be quite concerned about. Avoidance and being in denial about your diagnosis only adds to the problem and generally long term prognosis for a student such as this is not favourable. Know that everything happens in its own time, and that injuries require just that…time.
When returning to loading and class I begin with good kinematics, scapular positioning neutral and GHJ joint awareness, which often is impaired after a trauma to the tissue. I’ll use dynamic taping to help reinforce good control during class, and begin with wall or floor exercises.
If you have experienced a shoulder injury or have hyper mobility syndrome come and see Andy or myself for an assessment as a means of preventing this debilitating injury.