Dance PT Podcast

Diabetes can affect more than blood sugar — for dancers, it can impact energy, coordination, strength, and performance endurance. In this episode of the Dance PT Podcast, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, Dance PT Certified, shares evidence-based strategies for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to support dancers with diabetes.

Learn how to:

Design personalized exercise and endurance programs

Improve balance, coordination, and proprioception

Support foot health and wound care

Prevent fatigue and overuse injuries in the studio

This episode is full of practical, clinically grounded insights for PTs/PTAs working with dancers — and a quick nod to other performers who may benefit too.

Join the conversation in the Dance PT Facebook Group and explore the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com

to deepen your knowledge and grow your practice.

In this episode of the Dance PT Podcast, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, and Dance PT Certified, discusses Degenerative Disk Disease in dancers. Learn how repetitive spinal loading from jumps, backbends, and turns can impact disk health, and how physical therapists can assess, treat, and prevent symptoms. Jenna shares practical, evidence-based strategies for strengthening, mobility, postural training, activity modification, and more — all tailored specifically for dancers.

Whether you’re managing a dancer with occasional back discomfort or designing preventative programs for your studio, this episode provides clinical insight, research references, and actionable guidance to help dancers maintain a resilient spine and long-lasting performance careers.

Connect & Learn More:

Facebook Group: Dance PT Community for PTs/PTAs

CEU Course: danceptprogram.com

In this episode of the Dance PT Podcast, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, Dance PT Certified, dives into Cuboid Syndrome, a foot injury that’s small in size but big in performance impact. Dancers—especially those doing ballet, contemporary, acro, or partner work—are susceptible due to repetitive jumping, toe-pointed positions, and weight-bearing on the outside of the foot.

You’ll learn:

How to recognize cuboid syndrome symptoms in dancers

Evidence-based assessment and treatment strategies for PTs and PTAs

How to integrate manual therapy, strengthening, and mobility exercises

Prevention tips to keep dancers performing safely

This episode is designed for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants looking to deepen their understanding of dancer-specific injuries and rehab techniques.

💬 Connect with other dance rehab professionals in the Dance PT Facebook Group.

📚 For a deeper dive into dancer rehab and marketing your practice, check out the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com

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Dancers put their elbows—and the ulnar nerve—under unique stress through floor work, handstands, lifts, and partnering. In this episode, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, Dance PT Certified, discusses Cubital Tunnel Syndrome in dancers, helping PTs and PTAs recognize early signs, implement evidence-based interventions, and guide prevention strategies.

Topics include:

Key symptoms to watch for: tingling, numbness, and grip weakness

Dance-specific movements that stress the ulnar nerve

Physical therapy strategies: nerve gliding, strengthening, activity modification, and posture education

When imaging is helpful and referral considerations

Prevention tips to keep dancers performing safely

This episode is perfect for clinicians wanting practical, dancer-focused guidance. Connect with other dance PTs/PTAs in the Dance PT Facebook Group and explore the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com

for deeper learning and marketing your dancer-focused practice.

Even a “minor” concussion can significantly impact a dancer’s coordination, focus, and confidence. In this episode, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, and Dance PT Certified, walks physical therapists and PTAs through the signs, symptoms, and evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for dancers with concussion.

Learn how to:

Identify physical, cognitive, and emotional signs of concussion in dancers

Conduct a comprehensive, dancer-focused assessment

Implement graded vestibular, vision, strength, and endurance interventions

Guide dancers safely back to rehearsal and performance

Understand the role of imaging and when it is—and isn’t—helpful

This episode also includes practical tips for preventing re-injury and supporting dancers’ full recovery.

Join the Dance PT Facebook Group to connect with other dance PTs/PTAs, share cases, and discuss strategies, or deepen your knowledge with the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com

Why does a tiny ankle sprain turn into months—or even years—of debilitating pain for some dancers? In this episode of the Dance PT Podcast, host Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, unpacks one of the most complex and misunderstood pain conditions in dance medicine: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

CRPS is not “drama” or “in their head”—it is a real, neuroinflammatory pain disorder where the nervous system becomes overprotective. Dancers may present with disproportionate pain, color or temperature changes, swelling, extreme sensitivity to touch, and fear of movement—even long after the original injury has healed. Early recognition and intervention can be the difference between full recovery and long-term disability.

In this evidence-based and clinical-story-driven episode, Jenna breaks down:

✅ What CRPS is (and what it is NOT)

✅ Why dancers are uniquely at risk

✅ The Budapest Criteria and research-backed diagnostic approach

✅ How imaging fits in (and why it doesn’t confirm CRPS)

✅ Pain neuroscience and the “overprotective brain”

✅ The emotional toll of chronic, unexplained pain in performers

✅ The most effective PT treatment strategies:

Graded motor imagery

Pain neuroscience education

Desensitization & sensory re-education

Graded movement & functional progression

Dance-specific return-to-performance planning

✅ When to refer to pain specialists and build a multidisciplinary care team

If you want dancers to trust you, refer to you, and come back to you—understanding conditions like CRPS is what separates a generalist from a true Performing Arts PT.

🎧 Listen now and level up your ability to support dancers through complex pain with confidence and compassion.

👉 Want to connect with dance PTs around the world?

Join the Dance Physical Therapists Facebook Group—it’s the #1 community for clinicians who treat dancers.

👉 Want CEUs and step-by-step dance rehab training?

Check out the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com.

Chronic pain can silently derail a performer’s career, yet it’s often misunderstood or dismissed as “just part of the job.” In this episode of the Dance PT Podcast, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, and Dance PT certified, dives into why performers are uniquely vulnerable to chronic pain, how the nervous system perpetuates it, and how physical therapists and PTAs can intervene effectively.

You’ll learn:

How to recognize chronic pain versus ongoing tissue injury

Performance-specific assessment and movement retraining strategies

Evidence-based approaches for nervous system recalibration

Manual therapy, lifestyle, and recovery tools tailored for performers

Prevention strategies to reduce the risk of pain becoming chronic

This episode is designed specifically for physical therapists and PTAs who work with dancers, musicians, actors, and other performers, offering practical insights and clinical strategies you can apply immediately.

Connect with other dance-focused clinicians in the Dance PT Facebook Group, and explore the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com

to deepen your understanding of assessment, treatment, and marketing your performing arts practice.

In this episode of the Dance PT Podcast, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, and Dance PT certified, explores Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in dancers, musicians, actors, and stage professionals.

CFS is more than just fatigue—it’s a complex condition affecting energy production, immune function, and the autonomic nervous system. Performers are at unique risk due to irregular schedules, intense physical demands, and high stress.

This episode will guide PTs and PTAs through:

Recognizing post-exertional malaise and other key CFS symptoms

Assessment strategies for performers experiencing unexplained fatigue

Evidence-based physical therapy approaches, including energy conservation, gentle strengthening, manual therapy, and pacing strategies

Prevention tips to help performers sustain artistry without sacrificing health

When imaging and referral are appropriate

Learn how to support performers in reclaiming their stamina and continuing to perform safely and effectively.

💬 Join the Dance PT Facebook Group to discuss strategies with other clinicians.

📚 Deepen your knowledge with the Dance PT Program CEU Course: danceptprogram.com

As physical therapists and PTAs, we often see dancers push through fatigue and breathlessness — but sometimes, these symptoms are more than just “getting tired.” In this episode, I dive into Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in dancers: what it is, how it can affect performance, and how physical therapy can make a real difference.

We’ll cover:

How COPD shows up in dancers and why it’s not just a “smoker’s disease”

Breathing mechanics, endurance, and balance strategies that improve performance

Pulmonary rehab, exercise programming, and breathing techniques like pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing

Prevention tips and long-term strategies to keep dancers moving safely

How imaging and spirometry guide clinical decisions

If you treat performers or work with dancers, this episode will give you practical, evidence-based strategies to help them reclaim their stamina and artistry — without surgery.

Resources Mentioned:

Join the Dance PT Facebook Group to connect with other PTs/PTAs working with performers

Explore the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com

for deeper clinical insights and marketing guidance

Neck pain, tingling, or weakness in the arm can quietly derail a performer’s career — from dancers and musicians to actors and stage crew. In this episode, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT, Dance PT certified, dives into cervical radiculopathy: what it is, why performers are at higher risk, and how physical therapy can restore function, prevent recurrence, and keep artists performing at their best.

You’ll learn how to:

Recognize early signs of nerve compression in performers

Evaluate posture, movement patterns, and functional performance

Apply evidence-based manual therapy, nerve gliding, and strengthening interventions

Integrate prevention strategies and ergonomic solutions into daily rehearsal and performance

This episode is tailored for physical therapists and PTAs who work with performers — whether you’re in the studio, clinic, or backstage.

Join the conversation, connect with other dance PTs/PTAs, and deepen your expertise with the Dance PT Program CEU Course at danceptprogram.com