Dancers Forefoot Injuries From En Pointe Position

Dancers Forefoot Injuries From En Pointe Position

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Ballet, and many other forms of dance, although they are a very good way of staying fit, are extremely demanding on the dancers bones, tendons and muscles. Choreographers often direct dancers' bodies into positions that require lots of flexibility and movement. Many of which movements are extremely stressful on the dancer's forefoot. The "en pointe position" otherwise knows as the act of balancing on the toe, is the most common position that dancers injure their feet, in fact, the injury rates for dancers, and all athletes for that matter, is close to 90%.

For dancers, several types of fractures can happen to the forefoot bone on the side of the little toe. Dancers often break this bone by either a misstep or fall from an en pointe position. Some signs of a forefoot fracture are pain, swelling, and bruising. If a dancer has a broken toe, he or she may be able to walk, but this usually makes the pain in the forefoot worse.

If symptoms persist for more than two or three days, it is vital that you see your doctor to examine the forefoot injury as soon as possible. If a person doesn't see a doctor, then he or she could develop persistent foot pain and arthritis. Also, if left untreated, a forefoot injury could change the way a person walks.

That's why it's important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you think that you have a forefoot fracture. Until your doctor appointment, make sure to prevent futher injuring your foot by staying off of it and applying ice for no longer than 20 minutes at a time to reduce the swelling. Be sure to use an ice pack or wrap the ice in a towel so that it does not come into contact with the skin. You can also take aspirin or ibuprofen to help relieve the pain.

If you see a doctor, then it's important to tell the doctor when the forefoot injury happened and how long it as been going on. The doctor will examine the foot to find the exact area of tenderness and compare the injured foot to the normal foot. X-rays will show most forefoot fractures, although sometimes a bone scan may be used to identify stress fractures.

If you have a broken bone in your forefoot, the bone ends of a displaced fracture must be realigned by a doctor; the bone will have to be kept still until healing takes place, you may have to wear a short-leg walking cast, a brace, or a rigid, flat-bottom shoe. It could take six to eight weeks for the bone to heal, depending on the location of the injury. Doctors often require follow-up X-rays after one to two weeks to make sure that the bones remain properly aligned.

Forefoot fractures rarely require any type of surgery. However, when it is necessary, it has a high degree of success. Rest is the primary treatment for forefoot fractures. Don't do any activity that causes pain at the fracture site, for three to four weeks. Instead, try doing an activity that puts less pressure on the foot, such as swimming. You will gradually be able to return to full activity. Your doctor or coach may be able to help you find the training errors that caused the initial problem so you can avoid doing this again.


Copyright (c) 2011 Foot & Ankle Alliance

About the Author:
Dr. Alireza Khosroabadi is a Fellowship trained foot & ankle surgeon. He did his Surgical training in NY and his fellowship at the Rubin institute for Advanced Orthopedics/International Center for Limb Lengthening at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore with world renowned Orthopedic Surgeons. He is practicing in LA, CA . More information @ http://footanklealliance.com/blog/



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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