Feet Fit for Moon Walking

His dance moves defined gravity. There was no performance that did not leave the entire audience speechless. Michael Jackson even designed and patented a shoe to successfully pull off one of his memorable dance moves. But even Michael Jackson suffered from foot and ankle injuries. Shortly before being inducted in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Jackson suffered a foot injury that kept him from moon walking his way into history. Dancing, like many sports, puts your foot and ankle at high risk for injury. So how does a professional or amateur dancer prevent such injuries? Here are some helpfull suggestions.

The most common dancing injuries are sprains, fractures, tendonitis, blisters, toenail injures, and bruises. The first step to prevent these injuries is to inspect your shoe gear. Depending on what type of dancer you are, will determine what types of shoes are most appropriate. Unfortunately, many dances require shoes that are not healthy for your feet. Such as many ballroom dances that requires women to wear high heels. Heels can cause instability and compression issues. When shoes are not your friend on the dance floor, there are other common practices that you should become familiar with to prevent injury.

A thorough warm up is always necessary to get your muscles warm and loose. This will greatly decrease the likelihood of strains and sprains. Paying attention to your pains is also extremely important. Pain and discomfort can indicate an underlying problem that may be treatable. Seeing a podiatrist to examine your foot and ankle prior to increasing your dancing regimen can greatly reduce the risk of injury. A trained podiatric physician can asses risk factor for foot and ankle injuries and provide treatment and therapies to improve your foot function.

Children are also at great risk of suffering from foot and ankle injuries while dancing. The bones in the foot are still developing late into childhood. For some dances, it is necessary for the child to be examined before being allowed to do certain moves. For an example, going up onto Pointe can be very dangerous and damaging to the foot if done prior to the growth plate closure. The only way to be certain that the growth plates are closed is through x-rays.

Before you jump on the dance floor, take time to watch the moves carefully so you fully comprehend the demands on your body. Understanding your bodies’ limitations is key. Learning taping and padding techniques can help you accommodate your ailments and further prevent future injures.

If you are dreaming about being the next Michael Jackson, you need to be prepared to deal with foot and ankle issues. Luckily, these ailments are often temporary and treatable, but they often take time and rest.