Worst Irish Dance Injuries

Like any sport, there are injuries. I have played travel soccer, lacrosse, Ice-Hockey with boys, gymnastics, and softball but my worst injuries com from Irish Dance.

My Worst Injuries Include:

1. Sprained Ankles: In most ways these are worse than breaks- and yes I have had several broken bones from my clavicle in hockey to feet from dance but sprains take a lot longer to heal and can be tricky. In my opinion, I would rather have a break and be in a cast for 6-8 weeks knowing I will get it off than to be wishy washy for weeks on end due to a sprain. 
2. A Dislocated Knee Cap: Yup that hurt. I went for a jump in dance and something just didn't go right when I landed. I was in a lot of pain and had to go to the doctor. The physical therapy was the worst part of this injury- I really had to make sure I was doing the exercises.
3. Achilles Tendonitis: This was due to improper stretching and lack of warmups. This happened in high school when I thought stretching and warming up was stupid... no you really need to do those. This injury made me mad because it was honestly preventable if I had just been more caring of my body.
4. Shin Splints: These hurt just running...now imagine jumping and pounding the ground while having shin splints. Yeah, not fun at all. The amount of Advil I consumed is impressive.
5. Plantar Fasciitis: WINNER OF WORST INJURY EVER: This injury sucks and I feel so bad for anyone who has it. Plantar Fasciitis is basically when the muscles on the bottom of your feet tear and snap. I didn't know what it was at first, when I got it two years ago. I kept dancing on it and the pain got worse and worse. It hurt so bad that I couldn't even walk. I remember going home for the weekend and crying because it hurt so bad to walk. I would say I have a very high pain tolerance- I danced with broken bones, stitches on the bottom of my foot, etc. so when I say it hurt, I can't even explain the unbearable pain. I later found out that it can occur from lack of stretching in your calves- or having tendonitis in the achilles... so make sure you stretch properly! I also had to tape my feet from that moment on, which was horrible.

I have had a lot of injuries in my dance career, but if I learned one thing it is to always stretch and warmup properly. It's important to listen to your body and know your limits. We are blessed with bodies that can tolerate things like working out so don't abuse your body!