The Dancer Answer is a specialized program created to address dancers' needs including recovery from injury, optimization of dance performance and prevention from future injury.
Physical Therapy:
It doesn't have to hurt to do what you love.
Dancers often function under the false belief that pain is normal. It’s not! Although discomfort can be productive, pain never is. If you are feeling pain while you are dancing, having difficulty dancing the way you used to, or struggling with a chronic injury, we can help!
Our powerful comprehensive approach helps dancers
heal well and dance successfully.
Injuries often have underlying causes that contribute to ongoing pain, restriction, and re-injury. Intense demands and busy dance schedules can make recovery seem impossible. For these reasons, effective physical therapy for dancers requires attention to both the whole body and to the specific needs of dancers. Your physical therapy through The Dancer Answer will combine clinical expertise with attention to your specific dancing needs in order to help you clear up the underlying causes of your injury and return to dancing quickly.
"To dance is to live."
Charles M. Schulz
Presentations
Get educated! The Dancer Answer provides customizable presentations to help educate dancers on dance related health topics. Our informative and interactive style engages dancers and encourages them to be involved in their health. The Dancer Answer also presents to parents and teachers, either in separate groups or together with dancers.
Contact us at (847)362-9171 to book a presentation on a topic you feel would most benefit the dancers with whom you work.
Dancer Function Screening
Ever wonder what you can do to avoid an injury? The Dancer Answer provides a one-time free screening to any dancer interested in learning more about his or her individual injury risk and what steps he or she can take to reduce it. Contact us at (847) 362-9171 to schedule a dance function screening.
Dancer Health Resources
Download one of our PDF information sheets to learn more:
Massage Therapy
Dancing can take its toll on your soft tissues, leaving your muscles tight, tired, and aching. The Dancer Answer provides massage therapy services to ease the everyday discomforts, promote quicker healing from injury, and maximize your soft tissue health.
Specialized Care
Melissa Reh, MSPT, CSCS, FASF is a licensed physical therapist specializing in the treatment of dancers. She created The Dancer Answer in 2008 and provides the program’s services. She has extensive dance experience in both teaching and performance. Melissa has been active on the Chicago dance scene, dancing professionally with Chicago Tap Theatre and currently serving as Director of Health and Wellness for Audible Odyssey, an organization that supports the development of professional tap dancers. Melissa combines her training in multiple dance forms with her expertise in treatment of orthopedic conditions to provide specific and effective physical therapy treatment to each individual dancer. Learn more about Melissa here.
