I have been dancing standard ballroom for
some years and recently I found me knees aching which obsess me very much. I think standard ballroom is "swing" dance, when
my body up and down, my knees absorb the impact of body movement. To dance on teak floor is a nice idea, but usually I don't
have such facilities, often on concrete/marble floor. In this case, how
should I avoid/cure a pair of aching knees?

Thanks for your advice.

Jason

When danced well, Standard ballroom is for the most part very low impact. So if you feel that your knees are giving you trouble as a result of, shall we say, impactuous action, then you may want to have a professional look at the quality of your movement from foot to foot, and give you some exercises for improving it.
On the other hand, if you have knee problems of any kind such as an injury or arthritis, there is a definite possibility that simply the repetetive action of bending and straightening the knees is affecting them. In this case, some sort of physical therapy of medical treatment might be in order, and you'd be best to consult a professional.

In other words, it might be a good idea to consult a professional dancer, a professional medical doctor, or better yet, both.

And yes, dancing on a non-sprung non-wood floor is probably not helping either. So if you have any control over that (such as in choosing where you go dancing), use it in any way you can.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Atkinson

Stay away from regular MDs when it comes to dancing related problems. Go to a qualified sports medicine doctor. He/she will be familiar with joint injuries and will be able to diagnose exactly where you are going wrong. He also should be able to give you exercises which will strengthen muscles where possible. Remember the knee has no muscles in it. Usually knee problems are ligament or meniscus problems - both quite serious. US football players suffer from these problems extensively because it is impossible to strengthen these areas. Muscles can be strengthened to help but ultimately, the bones are held together with ligaments which can't be strengthened. I know two dancers who have had orthoscopic surgery to their knees to repair tears in the material separating the bones. In both cases the injury was not caused by the dancing but by extra curricular activities. In one case the tear was caused by Karate moves as he took Karate lessons in addition to his dancing. Both returned to their former activities and reinjured (tore) their knees. The second surgury didn't help as much as the first. They now will have a lifetime of a painful knee.
I have found when my knees get sore, it is because I am doing something wrong. One example is the fallaway slip pivot. If I don't soften my knees and pivot on the balls of my feet, I feel it in my knees. Another is the reverse turn in tango, if I don't also soften and pivot my right foot, I pay for it with pain. I hope my comments help.

Many thanks for all your advice.

Jason