2 Series of Tendonitis - Help!

[Guest Prima.Dreams]

Hello I'm brand new to the forums, so please excuse me if this is in the worng place

 

I am 13 years old, danced for about 9 years, en pointe for 2 years. I take 4 classes a week 1hr 30min each, with an additional modern classes.

 

During the summer I came down with a terrible tendon issues. My calves tightened up, and pulled on my achillis tendon. I was not able to put my heel to the ground without shrp pain. So I went to the doctor, and they recomened therepy. I took therepy for about 3 months. Tendon issues cleared up.

 

Since summer, I was off pointe. Last Thursday, I felt ready to go back on pointe. I made sure to go to a doctor and get cleared away. No problems what soever.

 

For the first 30 minutes of class, we did some warm up exersizes and afew barre things, then we put on our pointe shoes. We danced for an hour on pointe. All went well.

 

After class, I noticed a small amount of irritation in my heel. Went home, iced it. Friday morning I woke up and my tendon was very tight again. All weeked I have struggled with trying to get my heel to the ground. I am also recieving sharp cramps all down from my calve to my heel. It is quite painful, nd to be completely hoenst - I'm scared about me continuing ballet for this season.

 

Mother talked with me and said I really should take a break. My legs just aren't holding up. She is schedueling a doctor's appointment as soon as she can for me.

 

Questions I have:

1. Do dancers recieve several series of tendonitis?

2. Should I take a break from ballet for awhile and let my legs get stronger?

3. How will I know when I'm ready for pointe again? When I thought I was, I really wasn't.

4. If I do take a break, will it be impossible to get back in the hang of things and catch up?

 

Thanks for the help! Sorry this post is so long

-Prima Dreams

 

EDIT: Mom will get an appointment ready for me tomarrow with a tendon specialist. I saw him for my first series fo tendonitis.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Prima.Dreams

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello Prima Dreams, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers

 

We are sorry to hear of your problems with tendonitis. It is a very annoying and frustrating injury, but, it does happen. Sometimes it heals and sometimes it does come back. It will be necessary to stop dancing long enough to get it completely healed, and then when you do start back you have to go very slowly, no jumping, no pointe for a while.

 

You should be able to have some help from your doctor and therapist in terms of when to return, however, you will also just know when it is really better. Your teacher should also be able to help you know when to start pointe again.

 

It will not be impossible to get back in the "hang of things and catch up". You are very young, so it should heal quickly with the proper treatment, and you will come back quicker than someone older too. Do try to see an Orthopedic Surgeon who is experienced in working with dancers.

[Doubleturn]

Knock, knock - may I add to Miss Leigh's advice? It seems Prima.Dreams that you jumped in at the deep end when you started pointe again. From nothing to one hour is a big difference. I suggest that when you are able to start pointe again, you limit yourself to just a few minutes at first, only one or two simple exercises and then build up. After any injury dancers are always tempted to overdo it when starting again. The danger then is that we relapse and it can lay the foundation for a chronic condition which is more difficult to cure.

[Victoria Leigh]

Yes, very true, Doubleturn. However, this is a just turned 13 year old, and I really think that the teacher should have limited her. Young dancers really don't know how much to do and of course they want to just jump in and do everything once that injury doesn't hurt anymore. Learning lessons the hard way is okay, for some things....... not this type of thing though.

[Doubleturn]

Yes Miss Leigh I totally agree. Unfortunately in this case the teacher didn't think to advise her to start slowly.