Painful Feet After Ballet

Sometimes toes can hurt even more once you take your pointe shoes off. That's because lactic acid builds up in the feet after hours of being constricted. Feet have no extra space, so swelling tends to linger. To decrease inflammation and soreness, follow these five steps:

1. After you take off your pointe shoes, roll your arch over a tennis or pinkie ball to loosen up the foot muscles before putting on street shoes. This will help push lactic acid out of the ligaments and joints and keep the muscles from getting tight.

2. If your feet are extremely stiff, wrap them in an Ace Bandage or put on a compression sleeve to push out swelling.

3. Once you're home, stick your feet in an ice bath for three to five minutes.

4. Put your feet up above the level of your heart to let gravity decrease inflammation.

5. Increase your ankle stability to alleviate the amount of pressure that wearing pointe shoes places on your feet. Use a Theraband, working against the resistance in all four directions: up (flexing), down (pointing), in (sickling), and out (winging).

Dancingly,
Jenn
jenn@centralctfootcare.com
Dr Tina Boucher, Dance Podiatrist