Ingrown toenails are not unique to dancers. But this profession definitely makes them more likely. Commonly caused by improper nail cutting, ingrown nails can also be the result of repetitive microtrauma damaging the nail plate. (We’re looking at you, heels and pointe shoes.) “An ingrown toenail is basically a part of the nail plate that […]

Dancers’ feet take a beating. So it’s natural to want to pamper them once in a while (and maybe make them look a little less…rugged) by getting a pedicure. But stepping into a salon comes with a few more complications when your feet take daily abuse in the dance studio. We asked New Jersey–based podiatrist […]

As the temperatures drop and sweater weather begins, most of us groan at the thought of chilly muscles and achy bones. Dancers know that a cold winter can make our bodies feel “off.” Dance Magazine tapped Dr. Thomas Sanders, a board-certified foot and ankle specialist at The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, to find out how […]

Go into almost any dance studio, and you’ll find students anxiously trying to stretch their feet. They’ll force their body’s weight over their toes, or ask a friend to sit on their arches. But stretching your feet might not actually be the most effective strategy to improve your line. “Stretching is a strategy to go […]

My doctor wants me to get a sonogram-guided injection of cortisone to reduce the inflammation surrounding my os trigonum, a pea-sized extra bone in the back of my ankle. I’m relieved that surgery may not be necessary, but I’m afraid of the steroid. My friend ruptured his tendon after getting an injection. Am I doing […]

To normal people, dancers may seem to have a strange fixation on feet. But we have good reason for our obsession: We depend on a pair of strong, supple feet to finish our lines, hold up our bodies and help us move with grace. And, if we don’t treat them right, those same tootsies can cause us an enormous amount of pain. How can you strengthen […]