Foot Injuries

How to Heal and Prevent Bruised Toenails

Catherine P asks:

How do you heal and prevent bruised toe nails? My big toe nail is all blue and black, it has been this way for a month and has not gotten any better. I have a show in 3 weeks and the many hops on pointe cause extreme… Continue reading

Sesamoid Fracture

Concerned Mom writes to ask:

My daughter is almost 14 and has been dancing since she is 2, ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and modern. Unfortunately she fractured her sesamoid bone in the ball of her foot and had to have it removed 8 months ago.

She has been out… Continue reading

Hammertoes

Besides bunions, there is another foot flaw that can cause major problems for ballet dancers.   It's called hammertoe, and it refers to a toe that bends in the middle and curls downward.  It can make dancing on pointe painful.

Causes - Hammer toes can be inherited or obtained. Any… Continue reading

Bunions

Bunions are irreversible  without surgery.  They can inhibit a ballerina's ability to dance on pointe - but dancers with bunions need not despair. It is quite possible to get around this pesky problem to become highly skilled on pointe.

A bunion is when the big toe leans toward the littler… Continue reading

Toenails

Dancing on pointe can easily lead to injuries, such as ingrown toenails and bruised toenails. This next part of this series on pointe shoe injuries will inform dancers of how to prevent and treat these infirmities.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails dig into the toe's skin, which can be quite painful… Continue reading

Blisters and Corns

Pointe work displays the incredible strength of ballet dancers as they perform challenging moves on the tips of their toes. Unfortunately, the toes, toenails, and feet bear the consequences of this demanding task, and are often the site of various injuries. There is hope for dancers however, if they follow… Continue reading