Attention Young Dancers---Protect Your Feet

Although dance is an excellent and safe form of exercise, improper training and bad habits can cause the body harm.  Ensure that you are taking lessons from a trained professional and in a quality facility.  Your teacher should know basic anatomy and how to keep you safe from injury.  The facility should be safe and have non-concrete floors.  Most studios have marley floors, which are sprung floors specially designed for dancers.  Beginning dancers should take these six guidelines to account to protect their feet from damage. 

1.     The feet should be held evenly on the floor with the toes straight.

2.     The feet should never sickle, especially in demi-pointe or releve.

3.     Children should not curl their toes to give the illusion of higher arches when pointing their feet.

4.     A demi-plie should be taught to originate from the hips and children should not force it by pronating the feet.

5.     A half-toe position should not be held for an extended period of time because it can cause irritation to the bones in the feet.

6.     The heel must remain on the floor as long as possible in tendu to properly stretch the leg and foot.  When the heel and arch leave the floor, all the muscles in the ankle must stretch and the muscles under the instep should tighten slightly to avoid sickling the foot.

Pointe work is another important issue for young dancers.  Begininning pointe work is very serious and should be done with care.  Dancers should not begin pointe work until they are at least eleven or twelve.  She should be mature both mentally and phsycially.  She should also have the strength for pointework, as being weak on pointe makes you very prone to injury.  It is very rare for a class to begin pointework as a whole, so if you are behind your class don't worry! Just keep working up your strength and focus and you will be caught up with your class soon.

If a child does start pointe be sure they are prepared.  They should be properly fitted and have proper padding in their shoes.  This may include a toe spacer, like the one on vailfoot.com, to avoid bunions. If you have any further questions about how to protect your feet or need to adress a problem with your feet, call our office today at 419-423-1888Remember, your health always comes first!!

Holiday Shows and Sugarplum Fairies

The Nutcracker is based on the story "The Nutracker and The King of Mice" by E.T. Hoffman and all of the music in the ballet is written by Tchaikovsky.  The story is about a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker prince and a battle with the King of Mice and consists of five scenes.

The Party Scene- This scene takes place on Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaums annual party. Clara and Fritz are the children. Godfather Dosselhymer presents two life size doll to the children. Clara receives the nutcracker doll. Fritz becomes jealous and grabs and breaks the doll. Godfather fixes the doll with a magical handkerchief.  Night falls and the family goes to sleep while Clara sneaks out to the tree to check on her doll, falling asleep with it in her arms.
The Fight Scene - The clock strikes midnight and the toys come to life. The Nutcracker awakens and goes into an intense battle with the mice and the Mouse King. The Nutcracker is victorious.
The Land of Snow - The Nutcracker turns into a prince and takes Clara on an adventure to the Land of Snow, an enchanted forest where they are greeted by dancing snowflakes.
The Land of Sweets - The Prince escorts Clara to the land of sweets where they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The prince tells her about their daring battle with the Mouse King and she rewards them with a celebration of dances including, Spanish, Arabian, Russian, Chinese, Mirilton Dances and the Waltz of Flowers.
The Dream Ends - Clara arises from her sleep alone by the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker is a holiday classic and for ballet dancers means a lot of work! Dancers should be prepared for the extra amount of stress dancing a show can put on their body and feet. Our product store at vailfoot.com has several products to relieve your aching feet.  One great product is RecoverIce Ice Wrap Bandage.  This product is great because it requires no refrigeration and you can take it backstage with you because it stays cool for up to 2 hours. It provides cooling and compression and is ready to use.  A perfect product for backstage aches. If you are having post-Nutcracker problems with your feet, contact our office at 419-423-1888 and schedule and appointment today or visit our website at vailfoot.com.

Don't Be Afraid - - - Doctor's Are Here to Help!

Dancing is a great way to exercise, express yourself, and have fun.  However, dancing can also cause feet a lot of stress and trauma.  The hit television show So You Think You Can Dance is a great example of this.  Last season, several of the contestants suffered from major injuries.  Billie Bell suffered from a knee injury and Alex Wong ruptured his Achilles tendon.  Alex and was unable to finish the competition but Billie took a week off and was able to continue. 

Dancers should learn from Billie Bell and take care of their bodies including their feet.  Sometimes rest is necessary.  If your injury continues to bother you, see a doctor!  Many dancers avoid going to the doctor because they are afraid the doctor will tell them not to dance.  This could actually cause the dancer more problems in the long run! If a dancer is dancing on an injured body part they could be making it worse and causing a long term problem out of a short term one.  Don't be ashamed of your feet.  If they are causing you problems go to a podiatrist and resolve the issue before it becomes a bigger problem!

Also, be sure you are taking preventative measures.  Keep your body in shape with a regular strengthening and stretching routine.  It is a good idea to keep thera-bands in your dance bag and create a stretching and strenghting routine for the thera bands.  Our product store is a perfect place to purchase thera-bands.  When this routine becomes too easy or boring, change it out for a new one.  If you are in class and something starts to hurt you, stop!  Most importantly, if you are experiencing pain that does not go away within a normal amount of time go to see your doctor. Don't let a minor injury turn into a major problem! Call our office at 419-423-1888 and schedule an appointment today.

Pronation

Pronation is the inward roll of the foot during normal motion and occurs as the outter edge of the hell strikes the ground and the foot rolls inward and flattens out.  A small amount of pronation is necessary and normal for the foot to work properly. However, excessive pronation can lead to damage and injury especially in dancers.  Excessive pronation causes the arch of the foot to flatten and stretch out the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the foot. Excessive pronation can cause several painful symptoms including

• Arch Pain
• Heel Pain
• Flat Feet
• Corns and Calluses
• Ankle Sprains
• Shin Splints
• Achilles Tendonitis
• Knee Pain
• Hip Pain
• Back Pain

Orthotic inserts and proper footwear are the best way to treat over pronation.  Schedule and appointment with your podiatrist to get fitted for orthotic inserts.  There are also some other things you can do to prevent over pronation.  First, do a thorough and correct warm-up before any physical activity or sport. Second, have a stretching routine. This helps prevent your muscles from being too tight or too stiff which makes injury more likely to occur. Third, strengthening and conditioning can also help prevent injury.  Finally, there are several products that help with over pronation. These products can be found at the product store on vailfoot.com.  Some of these products include Dr. Jill's Gel Arch Pads and Women and Men's Lace Up Athletic Walking Shoes.

Dr. Jill's Gel Arch Pads Feature

-Soft gel supports fallen arches, weak arches, high arches & pronation related foot problems.
-Self-stick pads make for easy application.
-Washable and re-usable pads. Each pad can be used over-and-over again.
-Two Sizes guarantees a comfortable fit.
-For use in all styles of footwear.

The Athletic Lace Up Walking Shoes Feature

Soft leather upper with stretchable panels that shape to the contours of the foot for a comfortable, non-binding fit.

Soft fabric lining with extra foam padding enhances comfort and protects the foot against irritations.

Ortho-Step® multi-layer insole cradles the foot, providing customized support along with excellent shock absorption. It offers relief for heel pain and foot discomfort, making every step you take extremely comfortable.

Wide, lightweight cushioning sole with Ergonomic-Stride construction enhances comfort and stability, and assists your body to propel. 

Anatomical design with added depth and a wide toe box ensures a relaxed fit and freedom for toe movement. 

Two sets of removable spacers (2 mm and 3 mm thick) allow the adjustment of the space inside the shoe for a perfect fit.

What's In Your Bag?

Being prepared for anything is very important as a dancer.  Shoes can break, ribbons can fall off, and injuries can occur. Be sure to stock your dance bag with all of the items you need.  Here is a list of the top ten things you should carry in your bag.

1. Dance Shoes!- This item is a no brainer, but double check your bag every time you leave the house. Make sure you have all shoes, for example tap, jazz, ballet, character or whatever shoes you need, and that you have a right and left of each.  There is nothing more embarrassing then only having your right tap shoe!

2. Hair Accessories- This includes bobby pins, hairspray, hairnets, hair ties, and headbands.  No matter how often you wear a hairstyle, there is always a chance that it could fall out and you need to re-do it.

3. Extra Clothing - Always be prepared with an extra pair of tights, a leotard, long pants, and knee pads.  Tights are easily ruined and sometimes rips and spills are inevitable, so throw tights and a leo in your bag just to be safe. As for long pants and knee pads you never know when a class is going to require floor work so they can help protect you from Marley burn and your knees from injury. 

4. A Sewing Kit - This is especially important for ballet dancers.  Ribbons and elastics often need to be reattached.  Be sure you kit includes, a needle, thread, and scissors. It is also not a bad idea to keep an extra set of ribbons and elastics in your sewing kit.

5. Thera-Bands - Thera Band exercises are a great way to warm up and stretch your feet before class begins.  You can purchase therabands at our product store website. 

6. A Snack - Keeping a granola or power bar in your dance bag helps for times when you are exhausted and begin to feel lightheaded or dizzy.  Eating a snack will help boost your energy.

7. Water - Water is extremely important for any type or exercise. Be sure you always come to class with plenty of water to make it through the day.

8. Deodorant - No one likes to smell!

9. A Notebook - Keep a notebook in your bag to jot down notes and corrections right after class while they are fresh in your mind.

10. A First-Aid Kit - Bring tylenol, baind-aids, toe tape, and other pain relievers.

Ingrown Toenails

Dancing is a great way to stay fit, be creative, and have fun.  However, sometimes dancers struggle with foot pain and problems that can take the fun out of any dance class.  One of the issues includes ingrown toenails.  An ingrown toenail is a condition in which the nail grows into the skin, usually at the nail borders.  An ingrown toenail can be caused by

• Heredity - A dancer may be prone to ingrown toenails if someone in his or her family also struggles with them.
• Trauma - An ingrown toenail may be caused by trauma such as stubbing your toe or dropping an object on it.  Dancing on pointe (especially when nails are too long) or wearing shoes that are too small may also factor in to the cause of an ingrown.
• Improper Trimming - Cutting toenails improperly is another very common cause of ingrown toenails. An ingrown toenail is often the result of trimming nails too short.  
• Improperly Sized Footwear - Shoes or socks that are too tight can cause trauma to toenails. Shoes that are too loose may also cause an ingrown toenail.
• Nail Condition - An ingrown toenail is sometimes caused by a fungal nail infection or losing a nail due to trauma.

There a few preventative steps you can take to avoid having an ingrown toenail.  Be sure that your dance shoes, as well as your street shoes, fit properly.  This helps prevent unnecessary trauma to the toe and toenail.  Also, be sure you are trimming your toenails properly. Cut your toenails straight across and make sure you do not cut them too short.   A good way to test the length is to make sure you can slide your fingernail under the sides and ends of the nail. 

If you are experiencing an ingrown toenail, set up an appointment with your podiatrist.  The doctor will examine your feet and may perform a minor  in office procedure.  He may also prescribe medication if the ingrown was caused by an infection. 

For some products to keep your toenails happy, visit the product store at vailfoot.com.  For example, Dr.'s Remedy Enriched nailpolish is a great way to keep your dancing feet happy and healthy!