There are numerous health benefits of dancing for you both mentally and physically. However, like any form of exercise, injuries or pain can arise from your activity. When I started dancing I did many stupid things that look back and I wish I would have done differently to avoid injury. Now I have sesamoiditis. The sesamoids are small bones surrounding the big toe joint in the ball of the foot. This condition is called “dancer’s toe.” Compensating for the pain in my toe has caused me problems in my knee as well. I won’t give up dancing and I manage my pain but I wish someone would have given me the tips I’m about to share with you.
First, get good shoes with cushion support on the ball of the foot. One of the dumbest things I did when I first started dancing, I often practiced at home with stocking feet on my hardwood floors instead of wearing shoes. I believe I could have prevented the sesamoiditis if I had not practiced with bare feet so often.
Secondly, consider jazz shoes or closed toe shoes. Like many women, I wanted to look good when dancing so I went out and purchased strappy high heal shoes. Heals do help you stay on the balls of your feet, which makes it easier to spin; however, most dance shoes don’t have much cushion support between your feet and the floor, creating a lot of pressure on the feet. High heals contributed to my injury so now I mainly wear closed toe, low heal dance shoes.
Lastly, add cushion and extra support to your shoes. In my closed toed shoes I’ve added pads for the balls of the feet to act as a shock absorber. This is helped a lot. I only wish I had followed these tips before I started having problems and perhaps I could have prevented and avoided injury.
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