Ballet could be tough on the foot. So much stress is put on the feet through the steps of ballet and the demands on the foot are really significant. At the elite level these demands is often up to 8 or so hours a day and all which is carried out thin unsupportive footwear. The scienitific evidence reports that ballet performers have more foot conditions than the non-dancing population. All ballet dancers will have their foot care routines which they do in order to strengthen the foot muscles and look after their feet and toenails. It takes many years to be successful in ballet and the last thing which they need to happen is for something to go bad due to a foot condition.
In an episode of the podiatry related talk show, PodChatLive, they had a complete look at the foot concerns in ballet and the strains placed on the feet. The two experts that the hosts questioned were Catherine Crabb and Sarah Carter who are both lecturers in Podiatric Medicine with the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia. Before their podiatry work Sarah and Catherine were ballet dancers at a very high level which means this merged activities and comprehension of both podiatry and dancing means that they were both well placed to discuss this theme. The episode touched on if the prevalent problem of hypermobility is needed to become a ballerina and their reply could have pleasantly surprised a lot of people. They reviewed the most common injuries observed in dancers and as 85% of ballet injuries are typically in the lower leg, it surely shows the significance of podiatry. Furthermore they compared the disparities between male and female ballet dancers and the unique injuries seen. Furthermore they reviewed the value of the ballet slipper along with the insane things ballerinas do to them, and also the significance about a suitable ‘pointe assessment’ along with what this could contain.