What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. It’s the band of tissue (or ligament) that connects your heel bone to your toes and supports the arch of your foot. When you strain your plantar fascia, it becomes weak, swollen, or inflamed. This causes the bottom of your foot to hurt when you stand or walk.
What causes plantar fasciitis in ballet dancers?
Here are the most common causes of plantar fasciitis in ballet dancers.
- You roll your feet inward as you move
- You have high arches or flat feet
- Dancing for long periods of time on hard surfaces
- Tightness in the Achilles tendons or calf muscles.
Naturally, you’ll experience plantar fasciitis at some point in your dance career seeing as how it simply be caused by dancing for long periods of time…
How to deal with plantar fasciitis.
One of the most common treatments (as with most injuries) is RICE.
Rest.
Ice.
Compression.
Elevation.
While this is just one of the many treatments, it is also one of the most commonly recommended. Below you’ll find some more ways to deal with plantar fasciitis.
Massage treatment for plantar fasciitis
Stretch the fascia. Start by propping your toes up against a wall while keeping your arch and heel flat. You’ll feel a stretch all along the bottom of your foot and arch. Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds, and repeat at three to four times per day. Remember not to overdo it if your plantar fascia is hurt.
You can also use a theraband to stretch your fascia by looping an end around your foot and using it to pull your feet towards your nose.
Roll a frozen water bottle under the arch. Stretch your tendon first, then roll the frozen water bottle under it.
Use a golf ball or tennis ball to massage the fascia. Start from the front and work your way to the back. Use a good amount of pressure throughout your foot. Try to focus on each area for at least 15 seconds. If you need additional pressure, then stand on the golf or tennis ball to apply more pressure.
Use a foam roller on all muscles above the plantar. Your body is an interconnected ecosystem. Even tightness in the shoulders or glutes can cause plantar fasciitis by throwing your hips or body out of alignment.
Taping plantar fasciitis treatment
Plantar fasciitis taping may help to reduce pain but varies depending on the severity. Here’s a taping treatment for plantar fasciitis.
1. Begin by taping around the ball of your foot (metatarsal) area.
2. Follow by wrapping another piece of tape around the heel and attach it to the tape around the ball of the foot.
3. Place a strip of tape on the metatarsal region and then cross the midfoot diagonally.
4. Wrap the tape around the heel and cross the mid-foot again. (this should make an X shape across your foot)
5. Repeat this wrap approx. three times (this is what supports the plantar fascia).
6. Finish the taping treatment by applying tape horizontally across the foot to cover previous strips
New shoes as a cure for plantar fasciitis
What kind of shoes are you wearing every day? If you’re experiencing plantar fasciitis, then you may want to consider choosing a new pair of shoes with good arch support and a cushioned sole. Most of the shoes that come to mind, may not look good so we recommend getting some good insoles and putting them inside of a nice pair of Nike free runs, Adidas, or Chucks.
Plantar fasciitis is very common for ballet dancers. There are multiple solutions for alleviating the pain caused by plantar fasciitis that you can try, but if the pain persists then definitely take a trip to a medical professional.