AFX: Great tool for Dancers

Matt from Progressive Health Innovations Inc.  got in contact with me several months ago about a product his company produces which is helpful for dancers. The product, AFX, or Ankle Foot MaXimizer, is a foot and ankle strengthener. Its unique design has a variety of resistance bands which allow a post-op patient or a high performing dancer balanced stretching.
Progressive Health Innovations is all about customer-focused innovation. The company was founded in 2005 by three Canadians looking to create a product that would help people suffering with foot pain: Dr. Jordan Myers, Matthew Ferguson, and Rick Hall. Dr. Myers, a chiropractor who saw that many of his patients needed foot adjustments. Dr. Myers soon realized that simply adjusting the foot and relieving the pain was not the complete answer to this foot dilemma. Strengthening the foot so the problem would not recur was the ultimate solution.

Unfortunately, when Dr. Myers went looking for a product to serve this purpose, he could find nothing except rubber bands and products so great they could not only cure your foot pain but cure cancer too! He needed a product that would allow patients to arch their foot and engage instrinsic muscles. With a plan in mind, Dr. Myers called long-time friend Rick Hall (MSc in Kinesiology) and Matt Ferguson, my contact, who had been working as the Medical Device Technology Manager at Simon Fraser University. And magic happened! With the three minds working together they created a product that would serve their initial goal: help those suffering with foot pain (very Three Musketeer-ish to me! All for one. Three people with individual strengths coming together to make one ultimate company.) Their design principles was that it had to be a complete strengthening product through all ranges of motion, allow for stretching, and so easy you could do it while you were watching tv. The team wanted to create the best foot and ankle strengthening product on the market.

So what they came up with was the AFX, a device that does exactly what they set out to do. Matt sent me the AFX to try, and I can see how this would help dancers especially. In one of the last dance classes I had this past season, we tried several "products" designed to increase your arch, help your turnout, maintain balance, etc. What antiques they are! The product for turnout are bulky, heavy shoes you strap on to sneakers and then do the exercises. The device to increase your arch was painful even to look at! You put your foot in this tube of sorts and while someone held it down, you pushed with your foot.

The AFX is something you can throw in your dance bag and take with you everywhere. It is highly portable, light-weight, and relatively easy to put together. There are different levels of resistence you can chose to work from, depending on your level of strength. I would suggest this to dancers who are at the professional level, students in dance schools, or those just looking to build strength. I had an injury this past summer in my right foot, and I know the AFX will help me build the strength I lost all the time I was in a walking cast.

I'll be creating some videos next week with exercises for dancers with the AFX, and I hope you check them out! Check on our Facebook or Twitter pages for more updates on the videos! And of course, make sure you try out the AFX.
Dancingly,
Jenn
jenn@centralctfootcare.com
Dr. Tina Boucher, Dance Podiatrist

Ballet Products For Your Feet

Last night when I finished watching So You Think You Can Dance, I cozied up with the latest edition of Pointe Magazine. I came across an ad for Bunhead's latest product, Anti-inflammatory gel. I made a note to check it out online this morning.

Bunheads is a company that makes great dance accessories. In the past I've used several of their products, including Ouch Pouch, ProPad, the Big Tips and smaller tips for the other toes. I was not familiar with a line of products they have that are for the health of dancer's feet in particular. I had seen the foot wipes in an advertisement in Pointe Magazine before. They come in a box, 25 wipes per box and are designed for the dancer with sweaty feet. Use them immediately after dancing to kill bacteria and refresh your feet. Bunheads claims that they are antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial.
The Exercise Band looks an awful lot like Therabands, but perhaps there is a difference. The band comes in three different resistence levels: medium weight, heavy weight, and super heavy weight. It is designed to help you strengthen difference parts of the body, help young dancers strengthen their feet for pointe work, and for those coming back from injuries.
Toe Tape is used to prevent blisters and reduce friction. It's a crepe tape used by professionals, but I think anyone prone to blisters or chafing would find this product beneficial.
I love the name of this next product: Footsie Roller! This yellow roller comes higher in the center and tapers out to the edges. This is a good product for those who get cramps in their feet and arches while dancing and for those who get tired feet after rehearsal or class.
Foot Balm is a little like the Foot Wipes, but is a spray. It is designed to eliminate foot odor and dry up moisture on the foot. The Foot Balm is an all-natural product with seven essential oils that will moisturize the foot all day long. Your foot will not be slippery after spraying this on.

The anti-inflammatory gel is made of seaweed, water, and willowbark extract, along with other minerals and oils. One of the main ingredients is Arnica, which has been used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory treatment. It is combined with basil and Melissa. You would use it specifically on areas that are over-used, like your joints and muscles. This cocktail helps stimulate new cell growth and turnover.
If you have a product that you would like to review, please contact me at: jenn@centralctfootcare.com. I will entertain products of all kinds that would be helpful for dancers and their feet.
Dancingly,
Jenn
jenn@centralctfootcare.com
Dr Tina Boucher, Dance Podiatrist