Guest Lukayev Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 'Lo all, Yesterday while I was rehearsing Les Sylphides pdd (as the girl cast for it was absent), I noticed that I can't really stretch my left leg all the way on pointe when in arabesque, penchée, or anything with the other leg raised to the back. That is, I could, but it would just deliver a rather sharpish pain to my achilles and adjacent areas of the ankle. And I also discovered that the more I tried to straighten my leg, I started to "fall" off pointe - I'm thinking my weight started going farther and farther back until I couldn't stay up on pointe any longer. Upon further examination of my ankle, I discovered that where there should be that small, hollow-like part right next to the achilles tendon, on the inside of the ankle (and to the lower left of that "ankle bone" jutting out), the area appears to be slightly 'puffier' than my right ankle, which is fine. By puffy I don't mean like visibly swollen, just that I can't see the ankle bone's curve as clearly on my left side as I can on my right.. does that make sense? I don't know if there's like fluid trapped in there that's limiting my range of movement, but I've been working with Therabands for quite some time and nothing's changed. Perhaps I have a bad habit of not pulling up and out enough from my hip and letting my weight go with the leg to the back, but that doesn't explain the appearance of my ankle... hm. ):/ Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted May 2, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Sounds like tendinitis, Lukayev. Ice it, take some anti-inflammatories, elevate it, and get the swelling down. If it's not better in a couple of days, get to an orthopedic doctor. Find one who has experience with dancers. Quote Link to comment
Guest Lukayev Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Oh, man! Tendinitis? Yeek! Is it normal, then, for someone with (I'm thinking mild, in my case as there's no pain save for when I do tendus or straighten my leg while on pointe) tendonitis to experience a sort of.. hm, gristly, rippling sound when they try to point their feet? It's not a very loud sound, in fact it's one of those things where you feel it more than you can hear it.. As I look over what I just typed, my condition sounds worse than it does in my head! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted May 2, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Nope, not normal, Lukayev. I strongly suggest that you see a physician rather soon. Quote Link to comment
Guest BattementCloche Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Sorry to butt in, but I don't want to start another thread on the same subject... I was doing the butterfly last night in class , and I went to move into the next stretch and my ankle REALLY started to hurt on the outside of my ankle, around the ankle bone, kind of to the left and up a touch--it felt like something had popped out of place, and was being pinched. I rotated and pointed and flexed it for about fifteen minutes, and it felt like it popped back into place, but when I pointed and flexed I could feel both with my fingers and inside my ankle something popping--it kind of snapped out and in again, and felt like it was grinding against something. I was really careful about it and didn't dance on it the rest of the night, and wrapped it up when I went to bed so I wouldn't joggle it when I was sleeping. It feels better today, thank goodness, so could it just have been a one-time thing? Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted May 2, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 It's very possible that it was a "ginch", or a one time thing, Battement Cloche. If it now does not hurt, then don't worry about it! Quote Link to comment
Guest BattementCloche Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Phew! Thanks. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 I'm not diagnosing, but it sounds like a slight subluxation of the joint without there being any weight on it. That is, it just pops out of joint and then back in, and there's not much of anything to worry about. If it recurs, THEN... But for now, it just sounds like one of those things that happens. Quote Link to comment
Guest Lukayev Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 I just thought I'd drop by.. I visited an orthopedist and was diagnosed as having a mild form of tendinitis, most probably caused by overwork of the Achilles. He prescribed lots of rest, but seeing as the Spring show is in two weeks, about the only kind of "rest" I can try to get is by not wearing pointe shoes for about a week. I also got this new anti-inflammatory normally used for asthma and allergy patients (this thing suppresses the body's output of some lukotriene something thingy), and it seems to be working well. That, and some glucosamine supplements for basic joint health at my mother's suggestion. In the mean time, lots of ice and lying around instead of standing seem to be doing me well. Tata! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted May 4, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 That is good news, Lukayev, at least the part that it is mild and also that it is responding to the meds and the ice and rest. Once the show is over I would suggest taking off enough time to be sure that it is healed though. Quote Link to comment
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