Glossary of Injury Treatmnets

Treatments- this section is being added to:



Ace bandage (or athletic tape) Ankle supports:

For binding sprained ankles. You will need to be shown how this is done by a doctor or physio. It is important to know this as a dance you are the same as a sports competitor and as such, this knowledge becomes part of your equipment for competing. Use ankle support bandages or pre made ankle supports when you have a problem but be aware that over-use of these when unnecessary will cause the ankle to become dependent on these and therefore weak.

Analgesic Cream:

(Before using these, read the section on Analgesic drugs and inflammation in the next chapter.)

There are many around in North America and Europe. I have listed some of these here. It is worth getting one or two as part of your ‘Dancers first aid kit’. There will be other brands in Europe and ‘Down Under’.

Biofreeze®: is a gel and works by providing a cooling sensation to the area applied which decreases the pain and increases the blood flow. The increased circulation to the injured tissues promotes healing and relaxation of stiff, sore muscles. The effect of Biofreeze lasts for several hours.

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Tiger Balm: Used for centuries this is a general analgesic, pain reducing rub. I can recommend it from first hand experience. A versatile external medication, Tiger Balm provides effective relief for most symptoms of muscle strains and sprains. Smells a bit mentholy but is good never the less. I used this after a fairly serious car smash that caused me a great deal of bruising and sprain injury over my body. After teh hospital they said that I should take pain kilelrs and things will get better. I used Tiger Balm and found it both comforting and it seemed to redcue the pain overall. Maybe it was me but It has been used for mnay byears in China for this kind of injury and it is very successful there. The car was written off but I got better.

Bengay©: provides temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, and sprains.

Aspercreme: Analgesic Rub is an odour-free crème and lotion for temporary relief of minor muscle aches and pains.

Glucosamine Gel: Glucosamine is widely associated with joint health & is now available in a clear dermatologically tested topical formulation. Non-sticky and non-greasy, Glucosamine Gel is easy to apply, & massage may soothe aches & pains. For adults & children over 12

Ralgex Cream: Ralgex Cream provides fast & effective warming relief from muscular pain & stiffness, sprains,

Radian B Ibuprofen Gel: Anti-inflammatory that relieves pain & inflammation from Backache, Muscular pains, Sprains, Strains, Sports Injuries.

Nurofen Gel:

A topical analgesic and ant-inflammatory gel to relieve pain & inflammation in conditions such as backache, muscular pains, sprains, strains, etc. Contains Ibuprofen 5%.

Mentholatum Ibuprofen Gel:

A topical analgesic and ant-inflammatory gel to relieve pain & inflammation in conditions such as muscular pains, sprains, strains, etc. Contains Ibuprofen 5%.

Deep Freeze Gel:

Fast acting pain relieving gel .Deep Freeze Cold Gel is a pain relieving Cold Gel. Its cooling, penetrating action goes deep down to relieve the aches & pains of overworked muscles, tendons & joints.

Deep Heat Rub:

Warming muscle rub for relief of muscle aches and Pains. Contains Eucalyptus oil, which is proven to reduce muscle pain.

Anti-Perspirant:

In answer to sweaty feet. I will cover this in more detail later but to avoid sweaty feet you can apply an antiperspirant before you dance. Washing the feet before, during (long competition days if possible) and after dancing will also reduce the need for using an antiperspirant. It should not be used all the time tough as overuse can itself cause pore blockage. Change your socks often and always wash these as soon as you get home. There are many brands of antiperspirant deodorant available over the counter in all countries. Read the label first to make sure that you get what you need. Absorbent solutions such as Drysol contain aluminium chloride can be found in many deodorants. This will help to decrease sweating when used on a regular basis.

In the old days, simple cornstarch was the answer for sweaty feet.

Antibiotic Cream;

Antibiotic creams can reduce bacteria. This means that such a cream can help reduce the incidence of badly smelling feet. Should only be prescribed by a podiatrist or doctor. Antibiotic creams are sometimes used in the treatment and recovery of badly calloused heels.

Analgesics and Anti Inflammatory Drugs-can do more harm than good sometimes:

After treatment for an injury, you may wish to take a painkiller or, if attending a doctor were prescribed simple painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol etc. the trouble is that some dancers take these as a general precaution or indeed, when ever they feel like it and when they have to dance. At no time should any of these drugs be taken simply to allow you to dance in class or a competition. If you are injured you stop dancing. That is all. Get better. The drugs can damage your liver, stomach lining and have long-term side effects. It should be realised that if you take drugs to reduce inflammation you can open up your body to serious infection. Now make a decision based on that fact. Stronger drugs such as Ibuprofen, Brufen, Naprocin etc, are all designed to reduce the inflammation. The trouble is, and what many dancers fail to understand, is that the inflammation is part of the healing process. All, injury produces inflammation. This is an extremely beneficial response to an injury. It is the natural response that the body has developed to deal with trauma. Without an inflammatory response, there can be a high degree of serious infection throughout the area. The body has trouble controlling infection and as some of these infections can be lethal, it is vital that you realise that inflammation is a good thing and not a bad thing. I will go into this aspect of natural body responses later in the Glossary. However, inflammation and swelling are also distinct conditions that often work together. The swelling can cause pain within the inflammation. It’s a very interesting subject for dancers and the more you know about it the more you will understand what is and what is not relevant to your injury.