Hearing the term "sports medicine" likely conjures up images of professional football players limping off the field, amateur boxers sitting in ice baths or tennis players holding their elbow. But you could also picture a dancer dealing with painful swelling in her ankle tendons.

Today's episode leaps into the world of treating dancers and figure skaters with Dr. Elizabeth Barchi, a sports medicine specialist at ChristianaCare. Join us as we discuss the unique medical needs of performance athletes, from the challenges of having an enhanced range of motion to the fatigue-related injuries they frequently encounter. Hear stories of recovery and understanding, as well as discuss how a growing awareness of dancers' and figure skaters' needs is reshaping the landscape of sports medicine. We'll uncover how cross-training, developing proper form, and increasing cardiovascular endurance can help mitigate these risks.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in sports medicine, dance, figure skating or simply the awe-inspiring capabilities of the human body.

Dr. Elizabeth Barchi is a sports medicine and dance medicine specialist at ChristianaCare. She has brought into her treatment process lessons learned from the physical trials of seven years as a professional ballet dancer. Sought out by dancers across the country, Dr. Barchi has cared for dancers from the major companies and schools of NYC including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Julliard School, Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Dance Theater of Harlem, American Ballet Theater School, School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, as well as several Broadway shows, films, and television series.

Links

• ChristianaCare Sports & Lifestyle Medicine
• ChristianaCare Sports Injury Therapy
• AMSSM Podcast Episode - Performing Arts Medicine
• Performing Arts Medicine Association
• International Association for Dance Medicine and Science

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