Knee pain

[Ruli]

Hi everyone. I might need some advice over a knee pain I'm developing since my second week at ballet clases. I might start from the begging.

I have always had, every now and Then, some pain on the inside part of my knee. I have just started taking private ballet lessons about a month ago with a russian teacher that was a Vaganova student in her younger days. She corrects me every position so that everything is on its proper place. Since about a couple of weeks ago I started to get those knee pains nearly everyday, and I was wondering if ballet might have something to do with that. The truth is that I have been searching on Google and found something about overturning the knee and not the hip, which I understood was about making the first position on a perfect 180 degress, which I read could knee pain if your muscles are not strong enough.

The question is, do you think I might be forcing the perfect 180 degrees position and hurting my knees? If so, Do you think it's a teacher's problem or is it just that my knees weren't well since the beggining? Might I look for another school?

I'm completely lost and would love some advice from all of you. I love ballet, but I just can't keep on having this knee pain all the time.

[toursenlair]

I'm not a doctor or physio but I can tell you that forcing your turnout is REALLY BAD for your knees. If you're an adult learner you should just make do with the turnout you have.

[Ruli]

I forgot to say that we start directly on the barre, with no previus exercise

[LinMM]

Totally agree with toursenlair....forcing turn out is a definite no-no!

Can you talk to your dance teacher about this as it is a private lesson?

 

Some dance teachers are fine teaching professionals and younger vocational students etc but are not so good at recognising the limitations of an adult learner. If this teacher cannot adapt her teaching to your body.....and she may well do if you tell her.....then I would find somebody else before you do yourself any further injury!

[Anjuli_Bai]

When you are in first position your feet should never turn out more than your knees.  If you stand facing the mirror - look and see that your knees are directly over your feet.  This is easier to see if you are in demi-plié.  This is the rule in every position - first, second, fourth, fifth.

 

You should talk to your teacher about it.  You should not ignore it.

[balletqs]

You need to be in full control and have good strength in of all your core muscles and glutes and 'turn out' muscles in the top of the legs before you aim for the 180. Otherwise u can damage the cruciate ligaments around the inside of the knee. You must def talk to the teacher about your knee pain and explain it gets worse when u increase the turnout in your feet.

[JulieW]

All good advice and i would add that you should consider seeing a dance physio.

[Thecatsmother]

Turnout is primarily determined by the degree of range from the hip which is then supported by the muscles described by other posters. If you force your feet and have limited range in the hip you are likely to end up putting excessive strain on your knees. Sadly as another poster has said, I have seen torn cruciate ligaments occur in a few dancers who were not taught how to hold their turnout to the best of their ability.

 

Do address it with your teacher and ask her to explain how you should be working if you have more limited range from the hips.

[Spax]

Shirley Hancock will sort you out. Over 35 years experience with Ballet Dancers. 

She is at Herdmans Pilates near Marble Arch £55 3/4 hour. Ex Royal Ballet School physiotherapist.