Why a jig can leave you reeling with pain
RISKY DANCING: Rosanna Davison takes a turn on Celebrity Jigs n' Reels
Monday September 21 2009
IRISH dancers are more likely to have dodgy ankles and tears in their tendons, according to new research at Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital.
This should come as no surprise to fans of RTE's Celebrity Jigs n' Reels series -- where participants on the show are no strangers to injury .
Not surprisingly, the show had a history of injuries, sprains, cuts and bruises as celebrities tried to get to grips with performing a proper jig.
Past contestant Peter Corry told of how he couldn't drive his car at one stage as his injuries were too bad. The tenor (43) had a shin splint on one leg and an achilles problem with his other during his stint on the series in 2007.
Troupe
The new research showed that the problems stem from overuse of the joints and leaves many dancers with injuries and in pain.
MRI scans were carried out on a complete troupe of actively performing dancers from an international Irish-dance show.
The scans showed that only three in 18 actively performing dancers had normal ankles and 10 of the dancers complained of painful ankles.
Tears in the tendon were the most common injury found among the dancers, who also suffered from inflammation of the feet and bone degeneration.
The study is the first ever among Irish dancers and it found that more than half of them continued performing, despite reporting ankle pain.
Researchers recommended incorporating calf muscle loading exercises as part of the dancers' regular training regime to help avoid the injuries. The research was presented at the annual scientific conference of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, held at the College of Surgeons in Dublin.
In another study presented at the meeting, researchers from UCD found that rugby players were more likely than their GAA counterparts to have quick access to a doctor for general medical advice.
The findings showed that while 97pc of elite rugby players had ready access to doctors the figure was 75pc for Gaelic footballers and dropped to only 35pc for hurlers.
csheehy@herald.ie
- Clodagh Sheehy
