-
Step 1
Most athletes wear shoes that are specially designed to absorb shock and stabilize feet, but the ballet dancer only wears a slipper or a toe shoe. These shoes are handmade and don’t have much absorption, and that means that the impact needs to be absorbed by the lower leg and foot. Other aspects that can affect and aid a foot injury is the use of improper posture techniques and fatigue.
-
Step 2
Stretch before starting into your routine. Stretching makes your muscles more limber and ready for workout; they are less likely to be injured if they are warm and limber.
-
Step 3
Practice proper basic positions. If you ever wondered why so much time is dedicated to teaching the basic ballet positions when you first start ballet, here is your reason. The right positions compensate and take pressure off of the knee, ankle and foot.
-
Step 4
Replace work shoes. We know that ballet shoes can be expensive, costing somewhere between $50 and $70 a pair, but it is important to replace them when you need to, and some ballet shoes can wear out after just one performance. Dancers are more prone to injuries when they wear worn out shoes.
-
Step 5
Choose the right shoes. Ballet shoes are handmade of satin and ribbon. It has some shock absorption in the stiff cardboard midsole, cotton insole and the cardboard outsole. Because these are handmade, they often come with irregularities, so you need to fit each pair of shoes to make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
-
Step 6
Be aware of your dance surface. This surface needs to give you some shock absorption and be firm enough to perform on. If it’s too soft, it can fatigue the dancer, and if it's too hard, then it doesn’t give enough shock absorption.
-
Step 7
Get your rest before a performance. Early fatigue on your body can cause you to injure yourself.
-
Step 8
Ballet dancers should visit a podiatrist and take their ballet shoes with them. The doctor can better assess where the dancer strains or places abnormal stress on the foot and will know how to treat an injury quickly when and if it happens.
-
Step 9
When a ballet dancer is not dancing, she should wear wide comfortable shoes like tennis shoes to give the foot room to rest.
-
Step 10
When an injury like a sprain or fracture does occur, you should immediately seek treatment from your podiatrist. He can become your best friend! The doctor will start rehabilitation methods, which may be painful and may take time but will also help you avoid other more serious injuries from occurring and avoid surgery. Some treatments may take as long as 6 months to a year.
-
Step 11
If you are injured, avoid surgery, as this may impair future dancing abilities. It is better to start rehabilitation therapies and let the foot heal naturally.
-
Step 12
Bunions are normal for dancers. They start forming when the dancer is a young adult and are often more bothersome at the end of class because of the strain and the tight shoe. To relieve this pain, you can use padding with lambswool or spacers between toes. If you are a serious dancer, then you probably shouldn’t consider operating as a cure to the problem, because the results could limit your movements.
-
Step 13
The above tips will both help you avoid injury and treat simple foot injuries. Be sure to consult a good podiatrist and let her help you make the right choices for your feet.
