There are many ways that we express ourselves in life. Dance is one of them and certainly the one we all cherish at Joy of Dance. However, as one specializes in a specific style of movement, injury may become a limitation to this expression.

Achieving high skills to the point of becoming a performer or simply enjoying ourselves through this unique way of expression is certainly valuable. During this process, the body will naturally give its focus to the major muscles, to the ones mostly required for this movement or activity. This, by nature, creates an unbreakable cycle of decreasing the strength of all other muscles needed for health and most importantly for overall balance of the physical body. Consequently, this may lead to injury.

Can you truly express yourself in dance if your body is not at its full potential?

Being proactive about our health is not only about fitness, but it is about maintaining the body and health in such a way that we are able to enjoy what brings us fulfillment and joy in life. Anything that is taking away from our personality, our activity, our comfort or our fulfillment of life in any way is also taking away from health and needs to be addressed.

In our attempt of understanding injury, it is necessary to mention its types: Acute and chronic injury; in other words, a sudden trauma that requires an immediate stop of activity as opposed to a long-term dysfunction.

Injury starts out as communication from the body to the individual. If you are not listening to this conversation, the next stage will be tightness. There are different types of tightness. One simple way to know this is to witness that tightness is still there after stretching that very same muscle where it was experienced. Next stage at the progression of injury is restriction of movement. At this stage, the ability of the muscle is compromised to the level of discomfort in mobility. After a physical activity, when you are feeling achiness in an area that doesn’t make sense to you, it may indicate restriction. Subsequently, in the lack of attention to all these previous signs and lack of right action towards regaining balance, you are likely to experience the last warning sign before the issue turns into a chronic injury: pain. Sadly, in most cases an understanding of how pain occurred is absent. This leads to pain being perceived as the body not working correctly, although it’s merely a reflection of the lack of ability to listen to the body. At this time, the issue may continue to become more complex and one may turn to the aid of kinesiology tapes, bandages, braces, corrective pillows, orthotics, even to the support of pain killers or to avoiding physical activity all together.

In fact, it is unlikely that any of these means can bring a permanent solution to the issue given the complexity of the body. Therefore, professional intervention is required: An osteopath, chiropractor, manual therapist, Chinese medicine practitioner (including acupuncture, reflexology, cupping and more), massage therapist, physiotherapist, ELDOA practitioner or perhaps a naturopath in support of the healing process just to name a few.

When you are looking for the right health care professional, it is advised to pay attention that they are continually leaning, that they are passionate about what they do and that after your treatment period the issue does not resurface.

Let’s also remember that if you find yourself in need of changing your way of expression as a result of an injury/trauma/disability, nothing is ever truly lost as life always finds a way to re-purpose itself. Your injury is not who you are. What once was your limitation can become a discovery, or a new path bringing fulfillment in a new and meaningful way.

If you have tried various means to address your injury and you are feeling lost. Visit Design Fitness to meet Noel Miller’s unique approach to achieving a state of health and balance in the physical body.

-Noel Miller, Founder of Design Fitness
“Exercise is my playground, science my foundation and lifestyle my practice. The combination of all three is my art.”