Thread: Dancing with Plantar Fasciitis?

I developed plantar fasciitis in both my feet long before I took up bellydance. It was a combination of factors; between high arches, genetics, and too much time sitting in front of a computer, I basically have some messed up feet (and a few other bits too, for that matter!)

I now have custom orthotics for all of my everyday shoes, and can't really wear shoes with out them. I can't wear flip-flops or most sandals because they don't have enough support in the arch. The only sandals I wear are Birkenstocks (I <3 my Birks!), though I have heard of a few other brands that are good for this condition. Good thing I live in such a "hippie town", everyone wears Birkenstocks here!

It's not severe enough that I have to wear those funny socks with the tether on them when I go to bed, but it can get quite painful just walking around when it is acting up (even with Birks/orthotics). Usually I do pretty well and I'm not dancing for more than an hour at a time in bare feet. However, there are just some days...sometimes, you just have a bad feet day.

Is there anyone else out there with plantar fasciitis? How do you deal with it? Can you dance okay in bare feet? If not, what do you wear on your feet that allows you to get the support without having clunky footwear? I haven't seen any dance shoes that would really do that, but am wondering if a tensor bandage would provide enough support. I would love to hear your feedback and get some ideas on how to keep dancing even when my feet are being stupid! Thanks!

I have plantar fascitis in my right foot and I dance barefoot. I use dance paws or ballet slipers because they help me with spins, not for the fascitis.

I warm up and strech the arch of the foot properly and it doesn't hurt when I dance. If that day is a bad day, I give a good massage from time to time.

I have to say that my condition is very mild, I don't need to use ortotics at all and it doesn't hurt every day.

I had severe plantar fasciitis in my foot after a deep bruise from stepping on a rock around ten years ago. It doesn't bother me much now, but I struggled with it for a long time, and I had to have a cortisone injection to get the original inflammation under control.

Have you discussed a low-profile orthotic with your doctor? I have a custom fiberglass pair that are small enough that they could fit in dress shoes, and I can wear them in ballet slippers. Sometimes I will just wear a regular OTC heel/arch insert if I'm not having pain, because the lack of side support in the slipper undoes some of the good anyway. On really bad days, I've gone so far as to tape the orthotic to my foot with stretchy gauze (no more slipping around!) before putting on the shoes. If I know I will be dancing on a really hard floor, I might add an extra silicone heel pad for cushioning. A lot of it is trial and error to find what works for you. You might get a better result from jazz sneakers or another type of dance shoe with a low heel.

If you need a more traditional look for gigs, it may be worth consulting with a orthotist about having a pair of lace-up sandals made with your corrections built into the sole. Aruba sells sandals with extra sole cushioning, and you might contact her about that option, too (arubasoasis.com).

The one thing I would unconditionally recommend is being diligent about doing the exercises. Warm up well before dancing and do a good stretch after. I find the dropped-heel stretch (stand on a stair or a slant board and hold a flexed angle) does more to manage reoccurrences for me than anything else.

I developed PF in my right foot after injuring my left foot (limping screwed me up pretty good.)

I found that putting good (like Spenco) arch supports inside jazz shoes for class really helped a lot. If you need something for performance, do try to check out good quality ballroom shoes, as they often have very good arch support.

I got rid of most of my problem with PF by stretching, good shoes, and never wearing unsupportive slippers/sandals around the house. But I know people who have it as a chronic condition... I wish you the best of luck.

I also have recurring issues with plantar fasciitis, at one point quite severe. If you are having that stabbed in the bottom of the foot with a hot knife feeling on getting out of bed in the morning, my best advice with regard to dancing is DON'T. Give it time to heal before putting the considerable stress of dancing on it. I did not do this, and not only aggravated my PF but also developed nerve damage from the pressure of all the scar tissue that built up around the repeatedly torn fascia. You don't want to do that, trust me.

However, if it's not that severe, I second the advice about stretching and thoroughly warming up your calves and feet before dancing. In addition, I recently learned while seeing a new chiro/sports physio that tight hip rotators and tight IT bands can contribute to PF, so regularly stretching all of those muscles will help too.

For dance shoes, I would also recommend dance sneakers until your feet are stronger. Make sure to get the kind with a turning spot. You may find they are supportive enough without extra inserts. Socks with extra padding on the bottom will help cushion dancing's impact as well. All this will indeed feel clunky, but it's much better to feel clunky than to feel pain, isn't it? And you do get used to it. Most of the time I wear ballet slippers for class, only needing the sneakers when my feet are very stressed (like in the winter when the muscles have to deal with the extra effort of slogging through snow). For performances, I choose to go barefoot because my aesthetic preference outweighs the need for 20 or so minutes of support. Do have a pair of gig slippers though for when you are standing around waiting to go on--those are the moments that sneak up on you and leave you with aching feet before you've even hit the stage.

Good luck--remember ice is also your good friend when your arches are sore!

edited to add: my feet have been really happy with Kalso Earth Shoes for daily wear. They have a reverse incline in the heel so that your calves are perpetually being stretched, as though you are walking uphill all the time. I find it helps to keep tension from building in my arches. (The fascia in your feet are basically the end point of a giant ribbon of muscle and fascia that start up in the hips and travel downward--when everything gets tightened, it's the end point that starts to fray and snap, especially when you keep pounding it against hard floors and forcing it into releve, etc :-)

My input is not in regard to dance shoes. But a good read. Check below the Bhuz logo, click Rosey's Blog. She has foot issues and found a sandal/flip-flop that has arch support and more. Might not be beneficial for your problems but they do sound heavenly.

Mine isn't that bad much anymore, but I still stretch my feet every day. And yoga most days too, before dance.

I have had to tape my arches when it was bad.

Originally Posted by ezrida

There are many self care treatments ideas in there but I think you should consult a podiatrist before do something.

Yes--I absolutely should have included that in my post. Get a medical professional's help. But, if the first podiatrist you see tells you to stop dancing without considering or discussing a treatment plan to get you back to dancing pain-free, don't hesitate to find another podiatrist. If you can find a podiatrist who specializes in treating sports injuries, that's ideal. That person will understand that just walking comfortably isn't the ultimate goal.

oh, and as mentioned above, I got my treatment ideas from seeing my PCP who recommended a good podiatrist. Do check with your Dr if you haven't already.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Warm up well before dancing and do a good stretch after. I find the dropped-heel stretch (stand on a stair or a slant board and hold a flexed angle) does more to manage reoccurrences for me than anything else.

Thanks for the reminder! I haven't done those in a while (my ground floor apartment doesn't have any stairs) and I forgot how good they feel. I also pulled out my foam roller and gave the calves and IT bands a good roll...ahhh, it hurts so good! lol.

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

However, if it's not that severe, I second the advice about stretching and thoroughly warming up your calves and feet before dancing. In addition, I recently learned while seeing a new chiro/sports physio that tight hip rotators and tight IT bands can contribute to PF, so regularly stretching all of those muscles will help too.

I'm the same way with the wonky hips - that's where all of my problems come from. My physiotherapist is working with me right now on building the strength back up in the outside stabilizing muscles so that everything stays in place and stops pulling everything else out of alignment.

I'll have to check out those Earth Shoes, I haven't heard of them before.

Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies! Keep them coming!

I've got PF in both feet and required custom orthotics. Since getting them, my feet have drastically improved. I generally dance barefoot, but lately we've had light dancing in class as we are focusing more zills than complicated choreos or hardcore drilling. When we were doing more moving around, I would wear the full footed foot undeez and put the insoles you can buy in the store for PF. Those definitely helped for that short amount of time using those. If you are able to get the custom orthotics, try getting the dress style because they are a bit smaller and can fit into cuter shoes. I also have a pair of very sparkly flats I picked up from Target that I've danced in with the insoles, haven't had an opportunity to try those specific shoes with my new orthotics.

Other than that, good stretching, icing, taking breaks when needed (not overdoing yourself), and finding a good podiatrist. Every teacher that I've worked with knows about my PF and they understand that when I take a break, it's because of my PF (or, now during the zill days it's my carpal tunnel syndrome that's causing breaks). I get to see my podiatrist on Monday so I'm going to talk to him about my lack of flexibility. It gets a little difficult to do certain moves flat footed or doing a level change because of it. I tend to go on my toes to do those moves.

I apologize if this isn't too coherent, it's getting late and I've had a bit of a rough day (to compliment the PF and carpal tunnel, I also discovered I have Lyme disease so I'm adjusting to the antibiotics ).

Originally Posted by Allanah

Thanks for the reminder! I haven't done those in a while (my ground floor apartment doesn't have any stairs) and I forgot how good they feel. I also pulled out my foam roller and gave the calves and IT bands a good roll...ahhh, it hurts so good! lol.

If you know someone who does woodworking, you can find patterns online to make a slant board, which might be a better option for regular use if you don't have access to a convenient staircase. (You can also buy pre-made ones, but I don't understand how a triangle of wood can cost so darn much!) Or use a towel. A towel is handy because you can take one along in your dance bag, and if things get too bad in class, you can temporarily bail out and stretch.

I'll have to check out those Earth Shoes, I haven't heard of them before.

If you do buy shoes with a negative heel, take them to your PT and ask him/her to check your alignment while wearing them. I have a slightly different situation than yours (flat feet, not high arches), and Earth Shoes encourage my natural tendency to sway my knees back, so they actually make things worse for me. Everybody's legs are slightly different, and a lot of people find them very helpful, though.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

If you do buy shoes with a negative heel, take them to your PT and ask him/her to check your alignment while wearing them. I have a slightly different situation than yours (flat feet, not high arches), and Earth Shoes encourage my natural tendency to sway my knees back, so they actually make things worse for me. Everybody's legs are slightly different, and a lot of people find them very helpful, though.

Yep, I'm with Tourbeau, my podiatrist said no on the negative-heel shoes too. So, very good to get a check on that.

(Also, because my problem was related to my achilles tendons, I mentioned to my dr. that I was thinking of giving up wearing heels, and explained that my legs hurt for a week after wearing them. "Well, then don't WEAR them!" she exclaimed. And went on to explain that a negative heel shoe would over-stretch my achilles tendons, and if mine were that grumpy about being held in different positions for lengths of time, so I should avoid both heels and negative heels in general.)

thanks for the hat tip Showtime. I wrote about Orthaheel sandals on my blog - they cured my plantar fasciitis! I wear them all day indoors and out. They have a much higher arch and deeper heel cup than Birkenstocks and I highly, highly recommend them. They take a few days to get used to, and then after that it's bliss. They also make arch support insoles that get rave reviews.

To heal from PF, you have to stop going barefoot at all - so it's important to find a shoe you can dance in. I think using an arch support tape wrapped around your foot plus ballet slippers might be the best solution. But it's also important not to go barefoot at home.

On a side note, there is definitely a lack of good supportive shoes that are appropriate for belly dancers!