IADMS Madrid 2001   [back to the Category]

Techniques for addressing tendinitis of the hip: Is all that noise necessary ?   [read the french version]

Author :   Ruth Solomon, BA, University of California

Techniques for addressing tendinitis of the hip: Is all that noise necessary?

Ruth Solomon, BA, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Continuing educational work needs to be done regarding the etiology of tendinitis about the hip joint, its proper diagnosis, and preventive and rehabilitative strategies. This is a condition most often seen in adolescent dancers, as dancers seldom reach the professional level with this chronic problem.
Dancers make heavy demands on the iliopsoas muscle-tendinous unit for both strength and endurance, and are therefore especially prone to hypertrophy of these structures, setting the stage for derangement of the iliopsoas mechanism at the anterior aspect of the hip. “Snapping hip,” the common precursor of this condition, is usually painless in its early stages, and is therefore frequently dismissed as a minor mechanical problem. However, if allowed to persist unchecked this condition can progress to the point of chronic inflammation of the tendon sheath, potentially leading to debilitating pain and ultimately the possible cessation of a dance career.
This workshop will involve movement analysis, pelvic/lumbar alignment, and appropriate femur placement for développé en avant and à la seconde, grand battement, and grand rond de jambe en l’air, as these are the movements during which the dancer most often experiences the phenomenon described as “snapping hip.” The intention of the workshop will be to guide the participants in exploring their individual hip/pelvis/spine anatomy, and the bony structure’s effect on the precise placement of the femoral head in the acetabulum to achieve optimal external rotation, abduction, and extension. In addition, techniques for releasing the iliopsoas and rectus femoris tendons in order to facilitate the above-mentioned movements painlessly, efficiently, and without damage will be taught. Emphasis will be on correcting the technique to eliminate the snapping. We will also discuss the etiology, warning signs, early intervention, and potential treatment of iliopsoas tendinitis. This is a controllable phenomenon if addressed early with careful management, and should not be a determining factor in whether one pursues a career in dance.

Reference
Micheli, L. J., and R. Solomon. “Treatment of Recalcitrant Iliopsoas Tendinitis in Athletes and Dancers with Corticosteroid Injection Under Fluoroscopy.” Journal of Dance Medicine & Science 1(1):7-11, Jan. 1997.