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Injuries happen, even to the luckiest of us. Sprains, pulled muscles, bruises, shin splints, blisters...the list goes on and on. So, how do you prevent them, and if they happen anyway, how do you treat them? Here's my advice. Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor or an expert in any way, and I don't claim to be. This is just what works for me.

Sprains

The quintessential dancing injury. Most people have had at least a minor sprain from rolling over their ankle in a strange way. There's no fool-proof way to prevent them, but it does help to have strong ankles (see the heel-rise drill in the Drills section). You can recognize a sprain by bruising, swelling, pain, and sometimes a popping sounds when the injury first occurs. If you have all of these symptoms, see a doctor in case there is something more seriously wrong. However, chances are that it's just a sprain. The doctor will tell you to rest your ankle, which means crutches, use bandages or a supportive brace, ice it, and keep it elevated as much as possible. Take Advil or another anti-inflammatory medication regularly, not for pain, but to help the swelling go down. The doctor may also give you some exercises to help build strength in your ankle again.

Fractures

Fractures are probably one of the worst common injuries that can happen to a dancer, just because it requires time and patience to heal. Usually, dancers break a bone in their foot or ankle, but you could also fall and break your wrist or arm. I've even heard of a girl who broke a finger by kicking it in hard shoes. A fracture can happen in an accident like a fall or it can be a stress fracture, a crack from repeated stress on the bone. The symptoms are swelling, bruising, pain, and an inability to move the joint. When I broke my foot, I twisted my ankle, so I felt the usual pop of a sprain, but I also felt a smaller crack. I didn't think there should be two pops for just a sprain, and I was right. I spent four weeks in a cast and another three before I could dance. My main tip for casts: if you want to itch, try to avoid it because you'll need to itch constantly then. If you really must, use a blow-dryer to blow air down your cast.

Pulled Muscles

This is less serious than a sprain but has many of the same symptoms. If a muscle is sore and stiff but has no serious swelling or bruising, it's probably just a pull or strain. Take Advil regularly, ice it, and rest. Sometimes heating pads help too. Just try and deal with the pain and let it heal.

Shin Splints

This is a shooting pain up the front of your shins where the muscle pulls away from the bone a bit. That's lovely. It often happens to Irish dancers who dance or practice on nonabsorbent floors like concrete. I've never had them, but I've heard they're very painful. See a doctor for treatment.

Blisters

Now, blisters are more of an inconvenience than an actual injury, but they can be quite painful. Blisters are actually burns from the heat of friction in your shoes. The key to avoiding blisters is to eliminate the rubbing. I have a real problem with getting them on the backs of my heels, but I have a fool-proof way of preventing this. You will need white athletic tape (at least an inch wide) and scissors.

First, put a couple of vertical strips from one side of your ankle to the other, going under your heel and reaching about the lumpy bones the stick out on the sides (to use the technical term). Then, put two or three horizontal strips around the back of your heel, reaching the arch on either side of your foot. Finally, put one strip all the way around your arch, holding the horizontal strips in place. Trust me--nothing works like this does.

Once you have blisters, avoid dancing with them if at all possible. If not, cover them with tape, but first put a small square of gauze or cotton over them. Do NOT under any circumstances mess with or pop your blisters! They will heal much better if you leave them alone.

Bruises

A misaimed click or treble will earn you a nice splotchy purple bruise. Unless you have serious discomfort or swelling, there's not much to be done except ice, take medicine, and show it off. Oddly enough, to get fewer bruises, you first have to get more--by practicing more. Work on those clicks or trebles or whatever bruises you, and eventually your aim will improve.