There are a variety of ways to prevent injuries for dancers on pointe. Much of it is common sense but it is also helpful to have a checklist of things that are important for a dancer to remember when they are using pointe shoes. It is easy to forget and often dancers sustain injuries unnecessarily because they lose focus of the ways that will prevent these injuries and so I have found that by giving my dancers this checklist they can look at it and it serves as a reminder of ways to help them out.
1) Look at your entire body when you try on pointe shoes. If you feel as though your hips are being forced forwards then you need to eliminate that shoe. Be very careful when fitting shoes. They need to fit snugly and each foot is different so be aware of not only the width of the front of the shoe but also of the heels. Many dancers have narrow heels and so often the people fitting the shoes do not take that into account. Make sure you go to a store that has a knowledgeable pointe shoe fitter on their staff. Shoes that are too tight can cause tendinitis or bone spurs and shoes that are ill fitting or too large can cause sprained ankles, loss of stability and range of motion and stiffness in the upper body as a result
2) Keep the skin on the feet moisturized by using Vaseline at night and massaging it carefully into the toes and heels .If the skin dries out you will be more vulnerable to cracks in the skin and blisters.
3) Always keep a pointe shoe kit with you. This should include a blister kit, narrow tape for toes, antibiotic ointment, New Skin, foot powder, blister, corn and callous padding.
4) Remember to soak feet at the end f the day and apply ice as needed. It is important to pamper your feet.
5) Be careful that ribbons are not too tight and that the knot is never on the back of the ankle as that can cause tendonitis in the Achilles tendon.
6) Work constantly on strengthening and stretching the feet as this will help in preventing injury.
7) Make sure that you adequately warmed up before going on pointe
Blisters are always a problem that can arise for anyone going on pointe. If your skin is thin you will be more likely to get frequent blisters so you need to try to prevent them before they actually become full blown blisters. Once you have a blister it can either be a slight annoyance or it can, if not treated correctly, turn into an unpleasant infection. I f you notice the beginning of a blister try to deal with it immediately before the skin tears and leaves an open wound. If it does open however, make sure that you put an antibiotic ointment over it and cover it with a band aid. Repeat this treatment over a few days until new skin begins to form. The old skin will dry up and fall off and it is wise to spray New Skin or a similar product over the skin that is forming to help protect it. If you put pointe shoes on make sure that it is covered by some type of light padding.
Toenails need to be carefully trimmed to the correct length, not too long and not overly short as this can cause problems too. Nails are usually best cut straight across and rounded at the sides. Bruised toenails can be extremely painful when dancing on pointe. If redness or swelling appears you should immediately see a doctor so that any infection can be treated quickly. Soaking the feet in hot water with anti bacterial soap is soothing but if the toenails become bruised it is advisable to put ice on it as soon as possible.
Taking care of your feet is important for any dancer but when you are on pointe it is vitally important that you really do pamper your feet. If you do they will stay in good shape for many years and whether you continue on pointe or not you will be able to keep on dancing without pain.
