• Resources
  • Recommended Products
  • Exercise Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Photo Gallery

PhysioDC

Physical Therapy

  • Home
  • About
    • Physical Therapists
      • Daniel Baumstark MSPT, CHT
      • Christopher Cousins MPT
      • Kira Davis MPT
      • Greer Mackie PT, DPT, OCS
      • Ashley Speights O’Neill PT, DPT, PES
      • Josh Ripp PT, DPT
    • Treatment Philosophy
    • Patient Reviews
    • Resources
  • Services
    • Physical Therapy
    • Movement System Prevention Screen
    • Hand Therapy
    • Running Analysis
    • Functional Dry Needling
    • Concussion Management
    • Dance Rehabilitation
    • Custom Orthotics
    • Personal Training
  • Products
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Gallery
    • Exercise Videos
  • Forms
  • Billing
    • Insurance
    • Payments
  • Blog
    • Select Your Body Part
  • Directions
  • Contact

Proper Foot Care for Dancers

Last updated on March 19, 2018 By Kira Davis MPT Leave a Comment

It is commonly known that dancers do not have the nicest feet to look at. Despite their rough appearance, dancers do generally work quite hard to care for their feet. The most minor of foot issues could really deter their training or performance schedule, so proper maintenance is paramount.

Some major tips include (1) loving your calluses, (2) avoiding typical pedicures, and (2) proper strength and conditioning.

Loving Your Calluses

Calluses are areas of thickened skin that appear due to friction or increased pressure. A callus is built up over time. Calluses are tough and after some time can lose sensation, which can be very helpful for dancers. It is a natural protectant when having to dance barefoot or in point shoes. Once the calluses have formed and matured, pivoting and spinning on the feet is less painful, and there is a decreased likelihood of skin breakdown or blistering that will cause bleeding and pain.

Avoiding Typical Pedicures

Because calluses are so important to a dancer, the next tip is to avoid typical pedicures. Soaking the feet is relaxing and can sometimes come in handy to help relieve aches and pains, but regularly soaking your feet can soften a callus. For younger dancers that do not yet have mature calluses, soaking feet should be very infrequent and done for only short periods of time.

If a dancer does choose to get a pedicure, it is important to communicate with the nail technician that the calluses are to remain as is. Often times, I get weird looks when I bend down and point out the calluses that I want to remain as they are.

Nail technicians often use a metal foot scraper that can be fairly sharp to remove dead skin and calluses. The fact that the scraper is abrasive enough to remove calluses is problematic for dancers as you can also get injured if the metal foot scraper goes against non-callused skin. A good alternative to this portion of a pedicure is the use of a pumice stone. This will still smooth the feet to remove some dead skin, but the calluses will remain intact and there is no danger of getting cut.

An experienced nail technician knows not to cut the nails too short and knows to cut them straight across. This will prevent ingrown toenails. However, when in a pedicure chair, this is something that a dancer needs to be sure that the nail technician is doing correctly. The risk of an improperly cut toenail seems minor, but that can cause a lot of future unnecessary pain and difficulty with training, rehearsals and performances.

Lastly, in regards to pedicures, be judicious about the nail color that you choose. If you know that you have regular toe issues, such as bruising, bleeding, toenail loss or nail cracking, it is best to not wear dark nail polish. This isn’t a cardinal rule, but it is ideal to be able to easily monitor the health of the toenail, so wearing a lighter or clear color nail polish is advised. Darker polishes can be reserved for special occasions.

After all the diligence that is needed for trying to pamper yourself with a pedicure, it can become more mentally exhausting, and sometimes it’s just better to do all of this work on your own.

Proper Strength & Conditioning

Proper strength and conditioning is also a major part of a dancer’s foot care routine. Of course, technique classes help to strengthen the feet, but there are also things that a dancer can do independently to help prepare their feet for all the work that they have to do.

The use of resistance bands are often used for ankle strengthening as well as toe strengthening. Working on the dexterity of the toes is also useful for strengthening the small muscles of the foot. This can be done by picking up objects or trying to isolate individual toe movements.

Balancing on various surfaces on a flat foot as well as on the tip toes will help to strengthen and condition the foot in conjunction with improving balance. Dancers are constantly working on balance.

Lastly, dancers need to make sure that their foot muscles are free of knots and are loose enough to do their job effectively. Almost any dancer has some type of foot massaging contraption in their dance bag. The most basic would be a tennis ball, but you might see balls that have spikes and knobs on them. Some massaging tools are more of a wooden cylindrical shape. Dancers, of all styles, need to take the time on their own to strengthen and stretch their feet to prevent injury.

While the feet are not the only tool that a dancer uses, as dancers we greatly rely on our feet! It is imperative that a dancer takes time to care for and pay attention to their feet. If you have been noticing trouble with strength or flexibility in your feet and are not sure what to do, have your friendly physical therapist over at PhysioDC take a look at your mechanics to see what should be done. We’d love to get you back on your feet.

Filed Under: Exercise & Fitness



Additional Articles

Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine with PM5
The Rowing Machine Challenge
tandem stance
Tandem Stance: Try It!
social dancing
Staying Injury Free in Social Dance

Dealing with Dancer’s Hip: Snapping Hip Syndrome
Floor Barre Practice for Dancers
Self-Massage & the Importance of Mobility Practices with Exercise

About Kira Davis MPT

Kira Davis has been practicing as a licensed physical therapist (license #PT870656) in the outpatient orthopedic setting since 2006 in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. She received her Masters of Physical therapy in 2005 from Howard University and her Bachelor of Science with a concentration in the Pre-Physical Therapy program in 2003 from Howard University. She has experience addressing many types of sports injuries and is herself an avid soccer player. Trained in classical dance since the age of 3 and an active dance student, she strives to be one of the area's elite physical therapists for the dance community.

physical therapist recommended products

Ask a Physical Therapist a Question Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Disclaimer: By clicking on the I Agree button below, the individual posting a question fully understands that any response to the question is merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given.

Contact PhysioDC

Office: 202-223-8500
Fax: 202-379-9299
Email Us
Listen to Our Podcast

Physical Therapy Office Location

1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 330
Washington, DC 20036

Click here for directions

Offering the Following Services

  • Physical Therapy
  • Movement System Prevention Screen
  • Hand Therapy
  • Running Analysis
  • Functional Dry Needling
  • Concussion Management
  • Dance Rehabilitation
  • Custom Orthotics

Select Your Body Part

Click the image below to try our Select Your Body Part tool to read articles relevant to you.

Most Popular Articles

  • 1. Why Won’t My Elbow Straighten?
  • 2. Post-Surgical Ankle Boot? Please Get a Lift For Your Other Shoe!
  • 3. When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
  • 4. Managing Expectations When Recovering from Labral Repair
  • 5. Why Are My Ring Finger & Pinky Finger Numb?
  • 6. Two Long-Term Effects of Ankle Sprains
  • 7. How to Sleep Comfortably after Shoulder Surgery
  • 8. Shoulder Surgery: When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?
  • 9. Hip Labral Repair Rehabilitation: What To Expect
  • 10. Do Your Ribs Move?
  • 11. I Can’t Open My Hand All the Way: A Look at Dupuytren’s Disease
  • 12. Meniscus Surgery: What Can I Expect?

Recent Posts

  • The Rowing Machine Challenge
  • Why Do I Have a Patella?
  • Why ACL Tears Happen
  • Tandem Stance: Try It!
  • Reacquaint Yourself With “Straight Leg Raises”
  • Staying Injury Free in Social Dance
  • Why Do I Have a Forward Head?
  • Road Trip Tips from a Physical Therapist
  • Dealing with Dancer’s Hip: Snapping Hip Syndrome
  • Floor Barre Practice for Dancers

Join the Discussion

  • David Bailey on I Might Be Insane
  • Anonymous on Post-Surgical Ankle Boot? Please Get a Lift For Your Other Shoe!
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Can You Balance on One Leg?
  • Kevin Sean Hodgkinson on Can You Balance on One Leg?
  • Dan on Strengthen Your Scapular Muscles!
  • Clive on Strengthen Your Scapular Muscles!
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Post-Surgical Ankle Boot? Please Get a Lift For Your Other Shoe!
  • Laura Seay on Post-Surgical Ankle Boot? Please Get a Lift For Your Other Shoe!
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Why Won’t My Shoulder Rotate?
  • Luis Abrego on Why Won’t My Shoulder Rotate?

PhysioDC Address

1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 330
Washington, DC 20036
Entrance on K Street

Find us on Google Maps

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday    7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM (By Prior Appointment)

Contact PhysioDC

Office: 202-223-8500
Fax: 202-379-9299

Email Us through our online contact form.

Copyright © 2019 Washington PhysioDC, LLC · Sitemap · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
PhysioDC is a unique, physical therapist owned & operated rehabilitation clinic conveniently located in downtown Washington, D.C.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for Educational Purposes Only and is not designed to diagnose, treat, mitigate, prevent or cure any health conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated statements about these health topics or any suggested product compositions. Answers to questions submitted are merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given. PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.