Hello dancers!
I recently attended the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) 31st annual conference, and it was lovely to learn about the newest dance research that has been completed by hundreds of dance science professionals.
You've probably heard about medical professionals that are involved in the dance community and helping dancers be safe and treat and prevent injuries. But what kinds of professions exist within dance science?
It's a bigger community than you may realize. So today, I wanted to share with you all the different professionals that make up the dance science community and briefly explain what each of these professions do.
Physical Therapists
These professionals treat injuries, diseases, or other deformities with physical treatments such as massage or rehabilitation exercises.
Pilates Instructors / Personal Trainers
Fitness professional assess overall fitness levels and help individuals develop strength, flexibility, etc.
Massage Therapists
Massage therapists use manual therapy to manipulate soft tissue in the body.
Athletic Trainers
These trainers practice sports medicine with a variety of treatment methods for performance and recovery.
Occupational Therapists
This profession focuses on rehabilitation through daily life activities.
Nutritionists
Experts in nutrition can specialize in a variety of things such as eating disorders, pre-performance fuel, recovery, etc.
Chiropractors
Chiropractic care focuses on the manipulation of the body's joints that may be misaligned along with rehabilitation exercises and other treatments.
Dance Movement Therapists
These therapists use dance and movement to support the function of the mind and body- emotional, physical, and motor skills.
Neuroscientists
Specializing in the knowledge of the nervous system.
Physicians (with varying specialties)
Types of physicians include family medicine, surgery, psychiatry, radiology, OB/GYN, etc.
There are so many more professions that are involved with dancers, but I'll leave it at these 10 for now. It's amazing to see how these professionals come together every year to learn more about dance research and how to help their dancers/patients in a better manner.
If you're a dancer and these professions peak your interest, check out https://iadms.org to learn more about the dance science community.
And if you're ever interested in dance science and my pathway to the field, send me an email and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding undergraduate or graduate program advice or navigating the health/fitness world.
Kendall
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