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Dancers are athletes, using fancy footwork to master routines. Holding graceful poses or moving quickly to a fast-paced beat can affect dancers' feet, ankles and legs.
Whether you are a professional or hobbyist, read on to understand the physical demands placed on dancers. We also have tips, such as using insoles for dances, to keep your body in tip-top shape and recover from injury with minimal discomfort.
Devoted dancers train rigorously to make their movements seem effortless. Warm-up techniques can help reduce the likelihood of injury. However, it is still important to know the common issues dancers experience to better care for their bodies on and off the stage.
Dancing gives the plantar fascia ligament a workout. The springy connective tissue is the foot's built-in arch support. It runs the length of the foot sole, from heel to toe. Dancers put weight on their feet to jump and hold stances. The effort can damage the ligament, causing inflammation (plantar fasciitis). A dancer's throbbing pain in the heel or arch while walking could be a symptom.
In addition to the plantar fascia, the Achilles tendon takes center stage during dance performances. This strong tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel. Dancers might strain the tendon while nailing a landing and balancing on the tips of their toes. Damage to the tendon is called Achilles tendonitis, which can cause achiness in ankles, heel pain, and difficulty moving legs while flexing feet.
Pronation (how the foot rolls inward first with each step) and supination (when the heel rolls outward when first connecting to the ground) factor significantly into various dance forms. Overpronation and supination stress out the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia and cause pain from the feet to the hips.
Practice makes perfect is an idiom that often rings true, especially in dance. Repeating movements, again and again, helps a dancer build muscle memory and train their body to respond accordingly.
This type of repetition increases the risk of developing Morton's Neuroma. This condition develops when nerves between tone bones are aggravated or damaged. The area between the toes might feel numb, impacting the ability to dance.
The ankle bone connects to the toes via metatarsals. If the foot was a car, the five metatarsals are shock absorbers. How a dancer's foot connects with the ground can affect one or several of these bones, causing metatarsalgia. The condition causes pain in the forefoot (ball of the foot).
Tight calf muscles can affect performance by limiting the range of motion and increasing the risk of injuries, including Achilles tendonitis. Stretching calf muscles should be part of every dancer's daily routine. Wall stretches loosen tight calf muscles.
Stand with hands on a wall for support while moving the toe box of one shoe to point up toward the nose. Slowly lean toward the wall to stretch the calf muscle. Repeat on the other leg. Calf stretching can help reduce pain from Achilles tendonitis and metatarsalgia.
Additionally, stretching toes and rolling a golf ball under the foot (like a deep-tissue massage for the feet) can help address pain from Morton's Neuroma.
The plantar fascia ligament plays an important role in foot health for dancers and non-dancers. Inserts for dancers provide arch support to reduce strain on the plantar fascia ligament while healing. It's a good sign when the range of motion in the feet bounces back. This means that inflammation is decreasing. The strength of the plantar fascia ligament can affect the Achilles tendon, another good reason to wear shoe insoles for dancers.
Insoles that help distribute pressure while moving ease the impact each step has on metatarsals, which helps alleviate the discomfort from metatarsalgia. Insoles also cushion toes and reduce the strain on the forefoot for Morton's Neuroma pain relief and prevention.
Insoles provide arch support and stability to correct overpronation and supination and address misalignment for pain relief in the feet, ankles, legs, hips and back.
Foot health and mechanics affect the ability to perform during dance recitals and remain comfortable in daily life. Fulton insoles mold to foot contours for customizable comfort and provide arch support and cushioning to prevent and treat different conditions that affect the legs to the toes. The versatility of the new Universal Insole makes them suitable for everyone — whether your days are spent in the studio practicing or standing during a long work shift.
The Universal Insole fits snuggly in flexible dance shoes and shoes worn in everyday life. Add the insoles to all the shoes in your footwear collection to eliminate aches, pains and discomfort throughout the lower body.
Libie Motchan is the co-founder of Fulton, dedicated to creating shoe insoles that enhance comfort and foot health. Since launching the company in 2021, she’s focused on transforming the way people walk and move every day.
