Elaine Hendrix has shared new details about the rib injury she sustained during season 34 of Dancing with the Stars. In a recent Instagram video, the actor said the injury happened during the show’s Wicked-themed week and that viewers had asked how she managed to keep dancing afterward.
Hendrix said doctors found that she had torn a muscle, which may have pulled away from a rib. They found no broken bones or affected organs, she said. She was taken to hospital in October 2025, before the season’s Halloween show, and later returned to the competition with professional partner Alan Bersten. The pair finished in fifth place.
To manage the pain while continuing on the show, Hendrix said she received 16 anesthetic injections around her ribs to numb the nerves, along with a similar number of Toradol injections, a pain reliever. Her recovery routine also included massages, acupuncture, cryotherapy, physical therapy, alternating hot and cold baths, careful eating, and as much rest as possible.
Hendrix missed the live Halloween show but returned for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night, performing a Viennese waltz. She said the dance involved less twisting, giving her ribs more time to rest.
In her Instagram caption, Hendrix thanked fans for their encouragement and praised Bersten’s support throughout the injury. She also recalled the Argentine tango they had planned for Halloween, saying she and Bersten still talk about how it might have been their best dance.
Sources: Us Weekly.