Foot and Ankle Physical Therapy for Dancers
The foot and ankle is more than a body part; it completes your lines, connects you to the ground, and is the basis of your movement.
Let’s work with and around your injury.
Let’s find what we can do today. Our 100% looks different from day to day.
Reconnecting with the ground.
Mobility and stability of the ankle is crucial for dance performance needs. What are the specific buckets we need to fill?
Build back Power and Propulsion
Truly recovering and building capacity means asking, “Can you handle gravity and resist in all the ways dance will ask of you?”
From student to pre-professional to professional…
Ankle & Foot Injuries We Treat include:
Ankle Sprains / Ligament injury caused by rolling or twisting the ankle, common during jumps and turns.
Achilles Tendonitis / Inflammation of the Achilles tendon due to repetitive stress, often from excessive pointing and jumping.
Posterior Ankle Impingement / Pain at the back of the ankle due to compression of soft tissues, often from excessive pointe work or plantar flexion.
Anterior Ankle Impingement / Pain at the front of the ankle caused by compression during deep pliés or repetitive dorsiflexion.
Plantar Fasciitis / Inflammation of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole of the foot, often from overuse or improper footwear.
Peroneal Tendonitis / Inflammation of the tendons on the outside of the ankle, often due to excessive foot rolling or instability.
Stress Fractures / Tiny cracks in the bones of the foot or ankle, caused by overuse, repetitive stress, or improper landings from jumps.
Sesamoiditis / Inflammation of the sesamoid bones located beneath the big toe, common with excessive weight-bearing on the ball of the foot.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome / Compression of the tibial nerve in the tarsal tunnel, causing pain, numbness, or tingling in the foot.
Cuboid Syndrome / Displacement or irritation of the cuboid bone, leading to lateral foot pain, often from excessive rolling of the foot.
Metatarsalgia / Pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot, commonly caused by excessive jumping or pointe work.
Heel Spurs/Os Trigonum / Bone growth on the heel bone caused by stress or irritation to the heel, often linked to plantar fasciitis.
Bunions / A deformity of the big toe joint, leading to pain and swelling, often exacerbated by tight dance shoes or pointe shoes.
Flexor Hallucis Longus (FHL) Tendonitis / Inflammation of the FHL tendon, which controls the big toe, common in dancers due to repetitive pointe work.
Chronic Ankle Instability
Repeated ankle sprains or weakness in the ankle ligaments leading to instability, often seen after insufficient rehabilitation.
