A Literature Review on Prevalence of Plantar Fasciitis in Dancers

Shwetha Sasidharan; S Senthil Kumar; S Jeyakumar; Annie Thomas

Abstract

Background: Dance is a form of unique art and a form of physical activity. Dancers are highly susceptible to various musculoskeletal disorders due to the physical demands placed on their bodies and the repetitive nature of their movements which require interaction with medical professionals frequently. Any form of dance, be it classical ballet, contemporary, sport or folk dance, implies systematic physical activity which may lead to dance-related injuries. Professional dancers have regularly reported overuse injuries to the foot and ankle. Aim: This study is based on reviewing the relevant literature and to synthesize the knowledge domain about the prevalence of prevalence of plantar fasciitis in Dancers. Methods: PubMed, Research Gate, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Cochrane were the databases utilised to search for research papers. 57 articles of the past 22 years were collected and reviewed in accordance with the selection criteria. Selection Criteria: Dancers and articles in which prevalence rate of plantar fasciitis or foot and ankle injuries were included as per the selection criteria. Results: Five out of 57 articles were included in the review. The results indicate that the prevalence of plantar fasciitis or ankle and foot injuries among the dancers was predominant. Conclusion: We draw inferences from this literature study that ankle injuries and plantar fasciitis are highly prevalent among dancers in this demographic.

Abstract

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