Care for Dancing Feet

Tips for Relieving Pain, Maintaining Metatarsals of Dancers

Follow these common sense rules for keeping on your toes throughout auditions, rehearsals, performances, and those fabulous cast parties after the show.

The Right Shoes Can Relieve Foot Pain

- Wear the right shoe for the right activity. Invest a little extra money to make sure you buy comfortable, well-made shoes that support your feet and ankles for your regular daily activities such as walking, shopping, or running errands.

- Obviously different types of dancing require different types of shoes (or in some cases, no shes at all). If your old dancing shoes are barely fit for walking, throw them away and get new ones. Don't dance in shoes that are past their prime.
- Avoid walking barefoot outside. Although it may be tempting to feel the soft grass beneath your feet, it's actually tempting fate. Underneath an apparently well-manicured lawn or a groomed sandy beach can be hidden debris that can lodge in your foot and cramp your dance style. In summer, the searing sun can heat sand and sidewalks to dangerous temperatures that can burn the soles of your feet.
- Wear comfortable, well-cushioned shoes for long walks. Save the heels and sandals for parties and dates. If you want to keep dancing, don't wear high heels with pointed toes no matter how cute the shoes are or how much you paid for them.



The Right Activity Can Relieve Foot Pain
-Make an appointment with a doctor if you have an injury or pain that won't go away. Sprains and other injuries need to be examined, x-rayedm and treated by a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon. Dancing on a sore foot or a weak ankle will only make them worse.
-Sometimes an injection, orthopedic shoe (or insert), or series of stretches can relieve your symptoms without surgery. Typically a surgical procedure is only necessary to permanently correct structural problems with the feet. Don't be too eager to have surgery unless every other option has been exhausted. If you have corns, bunions, or hammertoes that don't hurt, then focus on preventive care instead. Painless problems before surgery can become painful after surgery. Relieving pain should always be the deciding factor in surgically correcting a foot problem.