Principles
- Provide effective and comprehensive injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation
- Promote efficient and safe dance training
- Promote optimal levels of conditioning and overall health
- Educate dance population in self-care strategies
- Support healthy psychosocial and nutritional lifestyles
Fundamentals for our Dance Wellness Program
- Screenings to detect risk factors that may predispose the dancer to injury and illness, and the opportunity for follow-up education based on results
- Education for the dancer including anatomy and kinesiology, movement pattern dysfunction unique to the dancer, common dance injuries and self-care strategies, common faults in dance technique and strategies to improve alignment, cross training, stress management, nutrition, and psychosocial issues.
- Medical services/rehabilitation and appropriate referral sources sensitive to the needs of the dancer with guidance on return to dance and career longevity.
- Access to educational information, resources, research initiatives and inter-collegiate collaboration efforts.
- Education on current events in dance medicine and science that affects the dancer’s health and well-being.
Ohio State Performing Arts Medicine Webpage
Screenings
The performing arts medicine staff and members of the Department of Dance perform screenings for students to help identify musculoskeletal risk factors that may make the dancer more susceptible to injury. We currently perform portions of the screening protocol developed by the Dancer Wellness Project.
Concussion screenings are available upon student request by contacting Hope Davis-Coen to inquire about cost and schedule.
A Dance Wellness Screen is not meant for diagnosing and treating injuries. If you are concerned about an injury, see your physician instead and possibly follow-up with formalized physical therapy with one of our Performing Arts Medicine team members. A Dance Wellness Screen includes an examination, results and recommendation education packet; no prescription is necessary. A one-hour individual session is $130.
Backstage Coverage
PAM staff also provide pre-performance treatment and backstage acute care for designated shows throughout the school year.