Irish study says the ‘Jerusalema’ challenge poses an injury risk

By Tamlyn Canham

Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode‘s smash hit, ‘Jerusalema’, has taken the world by storm, but doing the song’s popular challenge could cause injury.

For more than a year now, people across the globe have been showing off their dance moves, with police officers, flight attendants, and even nuns joining in.

Nun's in Dublin Monastery dancing to South African music. 🇿🇦
The scene is growing rapidly across the globe 🌏🇮🇪
Glad to see Nun's enjoying it 😁👌🏾🎶#Jerusalem #SouthAfricanHouse #Amapiano pic.twitter.com/iwv70ivpdY

— Jesta {⚽@Playmakers} (@Jesta01) March 13, 2021

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According to an Irish Study, some moves in the ‘Jerusalema’ challenge can cause injury. The medical study was published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports.

It states that “viral dance challenges such as the ‘Jerusalema’ offer new and interesting patterns of injury”.

“The Achilles Tendon (TA) endures a significant amount of strain and is at risk of rupture in all age groups upon running, jumping and exercises requiring sudden changes in velocity.”

Case studies

Irish doctors used three cases studies for the study.

In one case, a 42-year-old man, who had been dancing to the ‘Jerusalema’ challenge with his daughter at home, “felt a sudden pop at the back of his left leg”.

“He described the injury occurring in a similar fashion to our last patient following a small jump and push off the floor with his left leg,” the study states.

A 50-year-old man sought help after feeling “weakness and pain of his left lower limb” following his attempt at the challenge.

He said it felt like someone had “kicked the back of his leg” when he pushed off the floor while doing one of the moves.

A 58-year-old man suffered a similar fate while doing the dance with his grandchild.

“This was followed by severe pain and weakness on plantarflexion. He presented to the emergency department in MRHT one day later and on clinical examination was Thompson test positive and had a palpable tendinous gap,” according to the study.

All three men were either smokers or ex-smokers. Some had a history of heart disease and Rheumatoid arthritis.

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