Are you a professional dancer, or someone that just loves to take dance classes, but you find that your feet are hurting more and more? Are your feet achy after dance class? Do you feel like you might have to quit something you love because your feet are in pain? Do you ever wonder if there is something you can do to make your feet feel better so you can keep dancing? If you have ever had any of these thoughts – keep on reading!
Dancers put a lot of stress on their feet, and make them work overtime to be able to move their bodies to the beat! Whether you are landing on your feet from a flip during a hip hop routine, on pointe in ballet, or dancing salsa – you are demanding a lot from your feet!
Your feet are built from many small bones, that are held together by many complex ligaments and have tendons that function to give you an arch and allow you to put all of your body weight on the tips of your toes! They are amazing little machines that can do a lot. However, they do have a tipping point. When you are using your feet to accomplish intricate dances on a regular basis, those tendons and ligaments are working overtime to keep all the bones in the correct alignment and maintain the arch of your feet. This causes them to feel achy or sore after a few dance classes and over time can lead to painful callused feet.
What can you do to minimize the pain and discomfort?
Here are a few tips!:
Make sure to ice and elevate your feet after every single class
If you are wearing heels in a dance class or flats (both of which cause stress on your feet) make sure to minimize the use of either outside of class. Instead, wear good supportive shoe gear with orthotics when you are not dancing
Make sure to keep your toenails clipped short and straight across
Stretch out your calf muscles every single day
Make sure your dance shoes are fitted properly and by a professional.
If possible – spread out your dance classes to give your feet a chance to rest
Manually massage your feet whenever you can
If you feel abnormal pain, pop in your foot, ankle, or calf, see a specialist soon!
If you would like to discuss your foot and/or ankle pain and get more specific advice, please come see me at Serenity Foot and Ankle Specialists!