Guest alliecat93 Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 I have a problem with my Achilles tendons that is prevalent in both feet, but mainly in my left. It hurts so bad in my Achilles just to go up on pointe. This usually happens during the middle of a combination and I just keep going, but I'm always afraid that I will injure it. I'm pretty tough when it comes to pain- I have open blisters on almost all of my toes and I dance 6 days a week without padding-, but sometime it hurts so bad that I'm almost in tears. I would never be one to speak up if something hurts or if I think I can't go on, but I'm starting to question myself now. Should I inform my teachers of my problem and ask them what I should do? Also, would it be better to just finish the combination on flat, rather than going up to pointe in pain? After almost ever exercise I stretch out my Achilles and they feel okay, but then halfway through the next combination they start hurting again. Is this somewhat normal or is it something I should be alarmed about? Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 Sound the General Alarm! :eek: Pain in the Achilles' tendon is always a primary reason to stop immediately and head for the doctor. Until you go, Rest, Ice, Compression (very gentle in this case) and Elevation are the first aid. And so many blisters and so much pain is prima facie evidence that you need different shoes and you probably should be using padding in them. Get some lamb's wool for the shoes, and a piece of fleece, real or synthetic, to rest your heels on while you're putting your feet up. That will serve as sufficient compression in this kind of case. But go to the doctor! Quote Link to comment
Guest alliecat93 Posted June 5, 2003 Report Share Posted June 5, 2003 Oh, no! I thought you would say I should go to the doctor. I really, really, dislike doctors. My best friend recently went the doctor for some problems and he told her she couldn't dance AT ALL for 8 weeks, and maybe never again. I'm so afraid that the doctor will tell me to stop dancing, and of course my mom would make me listen to the doctor. I am taking a week or two off, dispite my plans to dance non stop for the whole summer. Do you think taking that time off will help them get better? Also, about the blisters- I think my feet have just been so used to padding that they went into shock when I stopped using it. My shoes feel like they fit really well. I am pulling up more than ever and I can feel the floor so much better. Some of my blisters have healed and now there is no pain on those toes. I think I really just need to tough it out a little longer. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 You don't have to like the doctor. Just GO! Try to find one that's used to treating dancers, if you can. And the blisters? Put the pads back. You don't win the Red Badge of Courage in ballet! Quote Link to comment
Dolphingirl Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 I would definitely recommend going to the doctor! I didn't have an achilles problem, but my knee was injured. I waited a while to even make an appointment, and then it still took a few weeks to get to see the dr. that specialized in knees. And then I ended up waiting 6 months until I was able to have the necessary surgery and I still couldn't dance for almost 3 months after that. I'm just now starting to get back one pointe, well over a year later. This isn't meant to scare you, because knees and achilles are different, and the possible problems are quite different, but the main thing is that the sooner you go to a dr, the sooner you are able to dance again. Even two weeks can make a difference to you. Plus, if you go in now, before you make the problem any worse, fixing it probably won't be as hard as if you waited and did something to hurt it more. I know for me, dancing wasn't the only thing that made my knee pop like it was doing. Even just walking more than a block(!) would do it, so my problem was transferred to everyday life too. Good luck, and I hope it feels better soon! Dolphingirl Quote Link to comment
Guest RachelD Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 I have a problem with my achillies too. when I pointe my foot or go up on pointe my achillies feels really tight and it fels like I can't pointe my foot any more. Some times it gets really bad. It's worse on my left foot when I sit on the floor with my les out in front of me and pointe my feet you can see the difference. I took an alive once before class and when I danced on it it felt normal. My mom e-mailed a physical therapist and she said that she doesn't think i should go to a sports doctor. I want to get it fixed because i feel so much more comfortable dancing (especially on pointe) with my right foot than my left. Quote Link to comment
Guest Tia5678 Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 I have a very similar problem on pointe. My left leg has a sharp pain mostly in my achilles when I go up on pointe. It could be because I have a new open blister there that is exceptionally painful, but I limp in my shoe, and I have to keep stretching my achilles. If I would you, I would continue stretching your achilles as much as you can, and if that doesn't help, see a doctor. Good luck! ~Chelsea Quote Link to comment
Guest Terin Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 I really think you should see a doctor about this. I've read some about dance injuries and from what I've heard/read, issues with your Achilles tendon are no joke. But even if you refuse to go to the doctor, I would say you should at least tell your teacher. The teachers at our school always tell us that if anything starts hurting we should tell them. That way, even if it is something unimportant that you can just dance through, they will know the reason if you wince or falter a little in a combination. Maybe you could even ask a teacher to take a look at it. They'll probably be able to tell you better than any of us (who can't see your foot) how important it is that you go to the doctor. Quote Link to comment
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