Injuries You Can Heal: Foot

Starting a new series! You guys said you wanted lifestyle tips, so this one is going to be based on my own experience with physical therapy, the dance kinesiologist in my department, and my experience with alternative healing. I'm not a professional and I don't pretend to be, so please take my advice with a grain of salt. This blog post is no substitute for a doctor's visit if you're really in pain!

I've talked before about how I shifted/dislocated a bone in my foot. It wasn't fun, and it really impacted my dancing for a long time. Since then, I've also dislocated a bone in the other foot and in one wrist, so I'd say I'm kind of qualified to talk about this.

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1. The problem: Dislocated/shifted bone in foot
2. What it feels like: Dislocated bones in your feet most likely will not be the most painful experience (unless a nerve is pinched) - it will only hurt when doing certain movements (for my cuboid, releve and inversion). When I say 'hurt', it will be a clear but moderate ache that kind of says "hey, remember me?" when you do certain movements.
3. Solution: Pinky ball. There are spots on the soles of your feet that are accessible to the bones you've shifted, so lightly/moderately rolling out the bottom of your foot can reset the bone and "remind" it where it should be. Don't mash your foot too hard, as that may bruise or exacerbate the problem. If the pinky ball doesn't work within a few minutes, see a doctor.

Usually, the hardest part of fixing a problem is diagnosing and accepting the treatment for it. If you have serious chronic pain and have experienced it for some time, seeing a doctor and getting a second/third opinion is a good idea. The actual treatment process may mean you don't dance for a while, or that your movements are modified, but in the long run, it will add to your overall strength and longevity as a dancer. Be careful!