Athletes or Artists?
tendinitis. A heel pad or lift will help elevate the
foot and reduce tension on the Achilles tendon. Soft
padding around the Achilles will help, if the shoe
allows, and a firm heel counter can reduce medial
/ lateral heel movement inside the shoe. Pain in the
posterior aspect of the ankle is often misdiagnosed in
dancers as Achilles tendinitis instead of flexor hallucis
longus (FHL) tenosynovitis.
Anterior Ankle Osteophytes:
Common in ballet dancers, due to extreme
plantarflexion required en Pointe, small ossicles may
shoes may rub at the heel causing a friction blister to
occur. If the dance aesthetics allow, synthetic socks
act as a cushion and barrier for the skin. Many dance
shoes are made from stretchable materials or contain
stretchable panels in the quarter and vamp. Also,
changing into dry socks after many hours in the same
shoe will also help to prevent blisters. Cushioning
under the metatarsal heads and calcaneous, along
with good arch support to help control the foot inside
the shoe will help prevent friction blisters on the
plantar surface of the foot. The less seams in the
upper, the better.
break off of the front of the lower tibia. Conservative
treatment may consist of strapping the ankle or rest.
If the resulting osteophyte does not stabilize and
becomes symptomatic, there is little that will help
other than surgery to remove the osteophyte.
Blisters:
As in long-distance running and tennis, where the
foot is subjected to many hours of excessive movement
within a shoe, blisters are common in many dance
forms and disciplines. From a shoe perspective, ill
fitting shoes are often the cause of blisters. Fitting
shoes too tightly may give adequate support but as
the foot swells during activity, the toes in particular,
may cause irritation resulting in blisters. Loose fitting
4Bunions
Bunions (hallux abducto valgus):
Dancers, with ballet being the extreme, subject the
hallux to pressure and forces not usually encountered
in everyday movements or in most sports. This
constant pressure causes an enlargement of the hallux
and forces the great toe to abduct towards the second
ray. The bunion is the result of an overuse type
of injury common in the dancer. Toe spacers and
bunion shields help to mitigate the enlargement of
the hallux. The correct width and shape of the shoe
is important to keep the dancer active. Stretchable
uppers or using a ball and ring stretching device (or
balloon patch in extreme cases) can help. Many types
of dance shoes will not accommodate an orthotic due
4 Calcaneal Bursitis
4 Calluses & Corns
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