A classical dancers feet need to be strong enough to provide a secure propulsive platform when doing jumps and turns yet be flexible and supple enough to absorb the energy of jumps. Unlike runners and many other athletes, dancers do not have the luxury of wearing athletic shoes with custom made cushioning! The ballet shoe and pointe shoe provide very minimal support and shock absorption. A ballet shoe also is unable to accommodate any additional inserts such as orthotics that have been prescribed to correct biomechanical abnormalities. So when it comes to protection a dancers foot is pretty much on its own.
Dancers do very repetitive movements in the daily training class and rehearsals and this can predispose a dancer to injuries of the foot from overuse. Both pointe shoes and ballet shoes can also cause irritation, friction and spots of pressure.
TOE NAIL PROBLEMS Unfortunately it can be quite common for dancer to get ingrown toenails. These can become infected and in some cases even cause a total loss of the nail. These problems can be avoided by trimming toenails straight across leaving approximately 1mm beyond the quick at the centre of the nail and 1mm beyond each corner. Cutting toenails in a square cut can help to prevent the toenail from growing into the corners of the toe. This should be carefully maintained with filing. If the toenail is too long it can compress against the pointe shoe and cause nasty bleeding under the toenail, or it can even tear off completely. If the toenail get infected this is very painful, hot, red, swollen and even have pus. Its important for the dancer to seek medical help with any kind of infection to help with a safe and quick recovery.
BUNIONS A bunion is a deformity of the big toe where the big toe angels towards the other toes. This is called a hallux valgus. Bunions affect as many as 53 percent of top-level professional dancer (The Dancers Way, Linda Hamilton) Bunions can become very painful and inflamed with pointe work and may need additional padding and protection. Genetics and family history can pre determine if we have bunions, if mom and grandmother had them then they can often be passed down. Bunion prone dancers should wear a wider shoe and use spacers between the big toe and the second toe to them better aligned. Bad bunion pain should be referred to a podiatrist.
CORNS & CALLUSES Both calluses and corns provide the dancer with protection to bear weight in the toe box of the pointe shoe. They also act as protection from blisters, which can be caused by continual friction. Corns and calluses are a thickening of the skin that occurs in areas of pressure. They can generally be found on the outside of the little toe, in between two toes or on the outside of the big toe. They occur when a bone rubs against the skin of the toe in shoes. Corns and calluses should only be cause for alarm if they become very painful or infected. Also if they become too thick they can put pressure on the underlying tissue and this can cause further injury. If they become too thick they need to be paired down with a pumice stone. If you are having real problems with them make sure that you see a podiatrist. Silica gel spacers and shaped padding can be bought to put between toes to help soften the corn and reduce any pain or pressure. Every dance teacher should have a good podiatrist that they can refer students to with any foot problems. Many podiatrists will be happy to come to the studio and give a talk on the proper care of dancers feet and any potential problems to look out for. It's worth taking the time to find a really good one in your area that the dance school forms a relationship with. Remember, 'prevention is best'!
