Improving the Dancer's Arch: Do Foot Stretchers Work?

"The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art." - Leonardo da Vinci

Dancers spend hours in the studio critiquing their bodies and comparing them to those of other dancers. One body part that receives considerable attention for obvious reasons is the dancer's foot. My last post spoke of the anatomy of the arches of the foot and the three most common types of feet - those with a high arch, those with a medium arch, and those with a flat foot and the implications that each of these have for dancers.

As each dancer works to create aesthetically pleasing lines, he or she often tries to find ways to stretch or increase the arch of the foot. A foot stretcher is a device that stretches a dancer's foot. The dancer places his or her foot inside the device which holds the foot in an arched position while stretching the ligaments of the foot to increase range of motion and presumably increase the dancer's arch.

There are some dancers who have a limited range of motion in their feet because of the bone structure. These dancers will not benefit from a foot stretcher since, no matter how much the foot is stretched, the bone structure cannot be changed.

For those who have a limited range of motion due to tight ligaments, it would seem that this type of device would be ideal. Unfortunately, foot stretchers work in a passive manner. Although range of motion may be increased, strength is not being developed at the same time. An increased range of motion may allow the foot to be placed in a new position, but if the dancer does not have the corresponding strength to move the foot into or hold it in such a position, it will be of no use.

It is important to remember two things about ligaments - their jobs are to hold bones together and to limit certain movements, and they are non-elastic; once they are stretched out, they will not return to their original lengths. If feet are overstretched with the use of a device like a foot stretcher, ligaments will become lax and will not be able to do their jobs effectively, and the dancer will no longer have the same joint stability that he or she once did. Overstretching the ligaments of the foot could lead to a greater chance of injury in the foot and ankle joints when the dancer's foot needs to bear weight in balances or when landing from jumps.


Another concern with foot stretchers is that they force the foot into an exaggerated pointed position. This position can lead to posterior impingement of the ankle. In this position the calcaneus, or heel bone, is forced against the tibia, or large shine bone, and pinches all of the soft tissue at the back of the ankle. Posterior impingement syndrome results in pain and irritation when doing almost anything. This irritation can also lead to tendonitis.

Avoiding exercises and devices that passively stretch the foot will contribute to healthy dancing. There are ways to actively stretch the arch of the foot while simultaneously strengthening the foot that will create an aesthetically pleasing line without sacrificing ankle stability or injuring soft tissue. My next post will offer examples of those exercises so that dancers can improve their arches in a healthy way.

The Ideal Dancer's Arch

"The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art." - Leonardo da Vinci

Dancers use their entire bodies, but their feet are what ground them, move them through space, allow them to rise up toward the heavens, and complete the lines of energy that extend out from their bodies through their legs. Having a "good"arch is often a discussion among dancers - it is believed that higher arches are the best arches because of the way they look, but what is most important is that the arches provide necessary support for weight bearing and effective landings, as well as aesthetically pleasing lines.

This series of posts will discuss the anatomy of the foot, the "ideal dancer's foot", the determinants of a dancer's arch, the best ways for dancers to improve their arches, and what methods should be avoided and why.

Basic Anatomy of the Foot and the Arches

The bones of the foot fit together to form the ankle joint, the arches of the foot and the toe, or phalangeal, joints. 

The primary ankle joint is formed where the tibia and and the fibula meet the talus.   The tibia is the large bone of the lower leg that is located on the inside of the shin while the fibula is the narrow bone that is found on the outside of the shin.  The talus is the bone located on the top of the arch of the foot where the lower leg and foot meet.  This joint is a hinge joint that is responsible for the ability to plantar flex (point) and dorsiflex (flex) the foot.

The bone beneath the talus is the calcaneus, or heel bone. The meeting of the talus and the calcaneus form the secondary ankle joint, a sliding joint, which allows the foot to move from side to side.

The bones that make up the arch of the foot are the talus, the navicular, the cuboid and the cuneiforms and those that make up the toes are the metatarsals and phalanges.

There are three arches in the foot. The arch that can be see on the inside of the foot is the medial longitudinal arch, the arch that runs along the outside of the foot is the lateral

longitudinal arch, and the arch that runs across the top of the foot from one side to the other is the transverse arch. All arches are important since they provide stability.

Everyone's body is different and no two people have the same foot structure. The height of the arches of the foot are determined largely by bone structure and also influenced by muscles and the flexibility of ligaments. There are three types of arches: 

 - the high arch This arch is characterized by its bony structure and strong ligaments that keep the bones held firmly in place. These type of feet are often rigid and inflexible, and do not absorb impact very well since only the ball of the foot and the heel touch the ground - about 20% of the general population.

- the medium arch This arch is ideal in that it provides for better shock absorption, and although the ligaments are not as tight, they do a great job of holding the bones in place while allowing for flexibility - about 60% of the general population.

 - the flat foot  While there is an arch apparent when a dancer is pointing his or her foot in the air, the arch disappears when the foot must bear weight because of the laxity in the ligaments - about 20% of the general population.

    

                                        

The ideal foot for a dancer is the medium arch since its natural bone structure provides an aesthetically pleasing image when the foot is pointed, and the strong  ligaments provide the stability and flexibility a dancer needs when dancing, balancing, and landing from jumps and lifts. These dancers excel at ballet, do well when dancing en pointe and are less apt to sprain an ankle.

Although they do not have "ideal dancer feet", those with high arches and flat feet can still excel at dance but would need to spend some time stretching and/or strengthening the arches for both aesthetic and stability reasons. 

Next week's post will provide some insight as to what dancers should and should not do to improve their arches in a healthy manner.