Ballet Dancers
Self Help Tips for Ballet Dancers
- Blisters: If you get a blister with water in it, you can puncture it with a clean needle to let the water out. (Try to puncture it parallel to the skin rather that at a right angle.) Leave the blistered skin on as it serves as better protection than a bandaid for the new skin developing below. Try applying some vaseline to the friction point before dance to avoid new blisters.
- Pads: "Moleskin" or Kurotex" padding is often a dancer's best friend. If you have a red spot or pressure point on a toe or anywhere on the foot, cut out a pad with a hole it. Place the hole over the sore spt. The pad will create pressure around the sore spot but not on it, to provide relief.
- Pain at the ball of the foot can be due to many causes. If it is a callous, a podiatrist can easily scrape that way. (This is painless.) If it is sore or red, applying some ice will help. Sometimes padding placed on both sides of the sore spot will relieve pressure.
- Ingrown Nails: These are common with ballet dancers and if sore should be treated early. If left untreated, they cause a foreign body reaction and puncture the skin to create an infection. A podiatrist can simply treat the nail which is painless and provides instant relief. More stubborn problems can be treated with a laser beam. The whole nail need not be removed — only the ingrown edge. You can resume dance within a few days following laser treatment.
- Flat Feet (pronation) can cause arch pain, heel pain, ankle, shin or knee pain. Prescription orthotic devices made from a cast of the foot by a podiatrist will create dramatic relief and prevent future problems. While they cannot be worn in a ballet slipper, orthotics work well when worn in normal shoes during the rest of the day.
- Hammer Toes: Ballet dancers often get curled toes with corns developing on them. Moleskin pads with a hole cut out will relieve pressure and provide immediate relief. A simple corn can be easily removed by a podiatrist and this, too, is painless.
- Bunions: Enlarged toe joints often occur because of foot imbalances that are inherited. Dancers often experience increased pressure to the big toe joint. Ice is helpful after dance to calm down symptoms as well as comfortable walking shoes for normal walking. Treating the foot mechanics provides dramatic relief and prevents future problems. Surgery can be avoided if bunions are treated in their early stages.
- Shoes: Often dancers wear flimsy slip-on shoes for normal walking. Your feet really should be in good quality running shoes or well cushioned walking shoes. Dress shoes are fine for short periods but added cushioning and support make a big difference.
- Socks: It is better to wear shoes with socks than without socks. Socks will protect tender areas on the feet and absorb moisture as well as provide cushioning.
- Spenco Insoles are specially designed sports insoles that provide lots of cushioning in walking shoes. Sometimes they will fit in dance shoes and reduce friction on the ball of the foot.
- R.I.C.E.: This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. When you get an injury, rest and elevating the foot always helps. Applying ice for five to ten minutes usually is helpful and compression is usually done with something such as "coban" elastic wrap. Have a physiotherapist, family doctor or podiatrist take a look at your injury in order to treat it quickly and effectively.
- Time Off: sports medicine practitioners know that athletes do not want time off from their sport, nor do dancers want to stop. Usually foot problems can be treated easily so that the dancer need not quit or take time off. Treatment is usually painless and the results are dramatic. Prevention is the key to avoid time off.
Ballet For Children
The severity of its physical requirements make ballet tougher than just about any other activity! Besides the need for flexibility and timing, great strength and endurance are required in order to succeed in ballet.
Ballet offers growing children and teens poise and grace along with good physical development, enhanced aerobic capacity, improved posture and even a more mature attitude to the student. When children are taught by competent instructors, usually any harm to the developing feet and legs are being avoided by proper instruction.
Nonetheless, the stresses and strains to the feet cannot be ignored and for this reason the following tips may be beneficial:
- Discomfort may be common, but acute longstanding pain should be investigated. "Dancing through" pain may lead to further disability later on.
- Ingrown nails are common in young ballet dancers. They should not be ignored, otherwise they can lead to severe infections. Often a simple painless treatment can provide instant comfort.
- Children should be honest with themselves, their instructors and their parents when it comes to pain. They often fear that if they admit to their foot pain that a long lay-off will result. However, by seeking prompt attention, usually time off dance can be avoided, and the pain can easily be relieved.
- Heredity can often play a role with foot problems. For example, bunions are caused by pronated (flat) feet and not necessarily by ballet. The inherited cause can be corrected to prevent future deformity .
- Warts can often show up on children's feet. If left unattended, they can become painful, or they may enlarge or spread. Early recognition and treatment is the key.
- Street shoes of good quality are especially important for ballet dancers. Good quality running shoes or laced walking shoes with good support and cushioned soles are advisable for daily wear. (Not flimsy slip-ons.)
- Sore spots, red marks or points of irritation can be easily treated. Often a simple pad designed to relieve pressure can enhance comfort greatly.
- The outward foot and leg positions of ballet can often aggravate flat feet. Proper instruction minimizes this. However for day-to-day walking, a properly designed orthotic device can correct foot imbalances and strengthen and realign the feet.
- Prevention will avoid a number of future disabling foot problems.
Parents should feel free to discuss any concerns about their children's foot health with our office.
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