What is causing this arch pain in a ballet dancer?

Question

Hello. I'm 16 years old and I've been dancing since I was 2. I took the summer off and came back to dancing right away with pointe, classes, long rehearsals and also long hours for drill team. I've been experiencing pain in the arch of my right foot. It varies but the best way to describe it is if i walk alot or jump or do any kind of motion where my toes bend backwards repeatedly, my arch starts to feel tight and sometimes like there's a ball or knot inside of it. If I ignore the pain and continue to dance, after several minutes I will land a jump or something like that and it will feel like my arch is RIPPING and this is proceeded by a burning feeling in my arch as well. I really love to dance and do not want this injury to limit my ability so any help is greatly appreciated. Does anyone have any ideas as to what it could possibly be? Thank you all very much!

Answer 1

Hello,



First of all I am sorry that you have this pain which prevents you from doing what you love - Dancing.



From your description it is hard to tell exactly why you have this pain, a possible cause though is "Plantar Fasciitis" which is an inflammation of the Plantar Fascia at the bottom of your foot.



In order to provide you with the best possible assistance and diagnosis, please answer these short questions.



1) Where exactly is the pain located in your arch, is it closer to the heel?

2) Do you also have some pain in the heel of the same foot?

3) Is there any redness or swelling visible?

4) Does the pain go away after resting?

5) Does it also hurt when you are not standing/walking/dancing?

6) Is it sensitive to the touch/massage it?

7) Do you have high arches or flat feet?

8) What kind of shoes you usually wear when you are not dancing?



Here are some suggestions for things you can do right now, regardless of your condition.



* Ice your heel/arches at least 4 times a day - You can roll a frozen bottle on the floor with your foot.



* Buy off the counter gel inserts that you can wear in your shoes (when not practicing ballet).



* Stretch your legs and feet before activity or before getting out of bed in the morning.



* Avoid wearing "cheap" shoes like flip flops - they provide no support for your arches.



* Stop dancing for a little while and see if there is improvement with the pain.



Again, if you can answer my questions above I will be able to help you further.



You can write to me directly if you prefer, my email is [e-mail]



Good luck and feel better!

Answer 2

It's called plantar fasciitis. Look it up. Plenty of info on the web. No point even giving you a link, but Medscape.com is a good place.