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 Response to Knee - Better be careful - Rama Vaidyanathan, New Delhi e-mail: vaidyanathan.rama@gmail.com August 19, 2009 Dear Editor, Reading through the new column 'Not Just Anybody' launched in Narthaki.com, I am very happy to say that finally here is one that all dancers should look forward to reading. I can very well understand the pain and trauma Ramaji must have gone under, since I had Chondromalacia Patella more than a year ago and this due to wear and tear of my knee cartilage working on hard surfaces. The doctor advised me to stop dancing, which was more painful than the physical pain. However, with ayurvedic medicines and physio exercises I am cured completely now and gave a performance in a month after the injury, but I still have to wear knee caps while practicing and rehearsing dance steps. As Ramaji rightly said, a warmup like alarippu is very essential before the actual performance, but more useful would be exercises that have to be religiously followed. Devadasis never had wooden floors to practice but at the same time their nutrition and physical activities are way different than what we have today. I hope Narthaki.com will bring more articles on dancer's health from dancers and as well as from orthopedics, who have come across many such cases. Thanks and kind regards, Ragothaman |
