Dancers

Dancers usually start dancing at a very young and are dedicated to their sport. They can be very competitive whether dancing for enjoyment or as a career and they have a tendency to hide injuries for fear of not being able to continue.

Whether you are a dancer yourself, or your children have taken up dancing, prevention or early intervention treatment is absolutely crucial in reducing the potential risk of long-term injury, along with properly fitting shoes made specifically for the use intended. The quality of these shoes is key in order to avoid common conditions such as calluses and blisters, more complex injuries to ankles and ligaments and to minimise stress fractures.

Dance injuries are typically to the feet and ankles caused by overuse and the numerous repetitive movements required in any given class, rehearsal or performance. More complex technical requirements and movements (such as going up onto Pointe, demiplie and turnout) challenge flexibility and strength of the lower limbs and feet and can lead to biomechanical imbalance or aggravate existing irregularities.

If you have been inspired by ‘Strictly’ or other televised dance programmes, you may have taken up dance at a later stage in life. In these circumstances good shoes and advice will help you to enjoy dancing for many years to come.

Whatever your circumstances, we recommend our Gait Analysis to screen biomechanics, flexibility and strength, enabling us to evaluate and to potentially provide corrective treatment or other forms of podiatry care. Not only will this help you to sustain your levels of fitness, it could help to ward off some of the diseases associated with the lower limbs that may occur later in life.