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INJURIES ARE PART OF SALSA DANCING
When we talk about dancing itself, we have to also talk about injuries. Let's face it, it happens to all
of us when growing up, and it happens to all of us when we dance as well.
If you just started to Salsa dance, you'll find that it comes with it's set of injuries and pain when implementing it
every time you go to a club, compete, practice or even stand around looking at another couple doing it. So this article
is to help you prevent some of those injuries that may come in the future if you are just starting, or haven't tried
some of the stuff I have. You need to protect yourself from certain stuff that I will mention below.
PREVENTING INJURIES
KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL
Stick to what you know and have under control. Don't practice NEW moves in the club or event that are difficult to
accomplish and require some practice, don't risk into doing moves that might hurt you and others around you - Always
remember that!
It's not about the embarrassment, because it's not that embarrassing, but it's more for the sake of your own
physical health. You don't know what you might bump into, or who you might bump down with... even worse, you
don't know who will be stepping all over you if you fall.
Always do what you know and what is safe for you and everyone else around you. This also applies for
people that are dancing around you and people who are just standing around and watching. You have to remember
those too!
I have seen some crazy dancers trying some flips or tricks that ended up hurting them, the people dancing
around, and the people standing around watching them. So take that into consideration.
SMOOTH WOOD IS THE BEST
Sticky floor, wet floor and dirty floor is the worst that can happen when you go out dancing. Always stick
to a nice smooth wood floor. If it's too sticky, then you can hurt your joints and your knees. If it's wet then
it's slippery, and you can fall... Very Dangerous! And it's dirty, the same thing - it becomes very slippery.
USE MATS OR SAFETY CUSHION
When you do practice some of those awesome moves that are difficult to accomplish, always do it in a
safe place. If you have a nice studio you can rent, even better! As long as you have some soft ground
to practice them on.
When you do find a nice studio, it's nice to practice it on nice wood, but it's a lot better when you
have something soft under you just in case you happen to fall. There are some flips that if you go down,
you'll go down fast and hard, and a cushion could save you a lot of pain.
PRACTICE THEM STEP BY STEP
Besides the ground to be safer and softer than just hard wood, always think and study the move before just
jumping right into it. Always think of the way the hands, head, legs, body movement go. You never know how
your body is going to end up after the move, and if you are holding too tight, then you might end up
twisting, or breaking something.
The more you study the move before trying it, the better. Also, always try it step by step, never on
a one shot. Start doing it little by little, then practice that part over and over
until you have it down. Then continue on the next step, over and over and slow.
HAVE SOMEONE ELSE HELP YOU WITH IT
Another good suggestion is to have someone else there with you just in case there needs to be someone
extra to hold your weight, or watch everything and give you second opinion and thoughts.
My partner and I always have some family member watching us, to tell us how bad or good is looking. Not just
that, but sometimes I need them to hold us for a second before completing the step, just so the weight
doesn't get too overwhelming since we are doing it slow.
WEAR SAFETY GEAR
When trying some moves that are just out of this world, then you have to do extra stuff to keep it safe. Wear
some safety gear! Helmets can be used when practicing some moves, not just that but you can also protect your
knees with knee-pads and other things that some moves might require when practicing.
You have to remember that this helps you feel more secure when practicing the move, therefore you have more
power to accomplish them. Flips and some aerial tricks require "MOMENTUM" to be accomplished, and when you
are afraid to do them in practice, errors are bound to happen. So if you are wearing some protective gear, it
will give you the confidence enough to put enough power and speed to accomplish it better. There is nothing
worse than practicing and then chicken out in the middle of the move, and then falling and getting hurt
because you just got scared in the middle of it. Trust me, it happens.
STRETCH BEFORE
Hey... hey, you already know this! Always stretch before practicing. Remember that Salsa is a sport, and like
so, you need to stretch before doing it. Specially if you are trying some moves that require a lot of muscle
and joint movements. So, stretch at least for 20 to 30 minutes.
AFTER INJURIES OCCUR
CHECK IT RIGHT AWAY
If you are involved in any accident, get yourself checked regardless if you were hurt or not! I didn't feel
anything initially after the fall we had on one of the practices. But, this didn't mean that I wasn't
injured. I was but I didn't feel it right away. Get yourself X-rayed by a chiropractor.
When the pain arrives, DON'T IGNORE IT! If you suddenly start feeling a pain that you can't explain try
to relate it back to an accident that you had. Symptoms can arise months and years later.
DON'T THINK IT WILL GO AWAY
Take care of the problem right away! Don't wait! The reason I am sharing this with you is so you don't
pay the same price I did. Don't think it will go away. It won't. It will only get worse. The longer
you wait the harder and more painful and more expensive the treatment will be.
When injured cut back on your salsa dancing a little bit. I know that this it hard. It was difficult
for me too, but going out and getting hit and elbowed on my shoulder kept prolonging my injury. Then
I would toss and turn all night long in bed with pain.
JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS
A medical doctor will only prescribe you drugs and will treat the symptom and not the cause. The body
reacts best to holistic treatment such as acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractor adjustments and
herbs. Heavy drug treatment and surgery should only be taken under last resort and extreme physical
conditions.
Remember that this pain comes from stress on your muscles or your bones, so your first choice should
be a natural way to treat the injury. If it is pain only of course - I am not saying that if you
broke your arm or leg, don't go to the doctor... oh no! I am saying if it is muscle or bone stress, it
can be resolved with massage therapy, chiropractor or acupuncture. Physical therapy can do miracles.
AND IF YOU HAVE TO DANCE INJURED
If you have to go dancing when injured then try to make a reservation in advance for a table. That way when
you need to sit down and rest you can. Avoid clubs that are over-crowded and have small dance floors. This
is very dangerous for an injured person. You will get hit! Trust me. And worst of all you won't enjoy
yourself because you will be holding back worrying if you will get hit or not.
Do not ever dance on concrete or carpet!! This is so bad for you. Actually, it is bad for injured and
perfectly healthy people. Dancing on carpet is very bad for the knees. Dancing on concrete is very bad for
the lower back, the spine, the feet and neck. Avoid this as much as possible. The best is the good
old-fashioned, smooth, hard-wooden floor. Beware of slippery floors and sticky floors. Beware of an
area on the dance floor that has spilled liquids all over the place.
Try to dance as far away from people as possible. Whether it be in the far corner, or on the outskirts of
the dance floor. I would always try to do this. You will decrease your chances of getting hit
by 25%. For a perfectly healthy person getting hit can mean nothing. But, as an injured person you
can feel it ten times worse!
Before you go out dancing, stretch that area that is injured. Stretch out your ankles. Make sure
you get plenty of rest. Many people told me last year that I looked very tired. An injury along with
the pain takes so much energy from you. I remember waking up some mornings and feeling like I just
got run over by a truck.
Bottom line is, always take care of your body, whether you are injured or not. Dancing is my life, Salsa
dancing is my passion, I don't know what I would do without it... my body is my tool and my only way
to express my love for such, if I treat it good, then I'll know I'll still have many years to satisfy
my Salsa hunger and get my Salsa Fix.
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