Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology

The Ankle and Foot 359

Exercise name
(Method of stretch)

Description

(Technique cues) Progression

Muscle group: Flexors of great toe
Muscles emphasized: Flexor hallucis longus and brevis

Joint position: Extension of the great toe at the MTP joint

G. Big toe stretch
(Static)

While sitting, use the hand to pull

the great toe slightly out and then

gently back toward the top of the

foot until a stretch is felt along the

plantar aspect of the great toe.

(Keep the great toe in line with the

first metatarsal and the subtalar

joint in a neutral position as you

apply the stretch.)

1. Pull the great toe slightly farther
   back in a pain-free range but
   only to a maximum of 90°.

If the big toe cannot be brought back sufficiently to

create a right angle, the big toe stretch (table 6.8G)

should be carefully added to the dancer’s regular

stretching routine. This exercise involves stretching

not only the flexors of the great toe but also often

the joint capsule and ligaments. Hence, it should be

performed slowly and gently. If pain and limitation

is experienced, the dancer should stretch only in

a pain-free range and seek a medical evaluation to

rule out arthritis or other conditions that could be

worsened by overzealous stretching.

Ankle and Foot Injuries in Dancers

Very large forces are generated and absorbed in the

ankle-foot complex in dance. For example, ankle

joint compression forces have been calculated to

reach 5 times body weight during walking and 9 to

13 times body weight during running (Hamill and

Knutzen, 1995). Considering these high forces and

the complex structure and demands of the foot, it is

not surprising that the ankle-foot complex is the site

most frequently injured in dance. In three extensive

studies of ballet dancers, 38% (Garrick and Requa,

1988), 42.4% (Quirk, 1983), and 48.5% (Garrick,

1999) of all injuries involved the ankle-foot complex.

Studies involving modern dancers showed that 26.6%

(Solomon and Micheli, 1986), 36% (Schafle, Requa,

and Garrick, 1990), and 38% (Hardaker and Moor-

man, 1986) of injuries were in the ankle and foot.

Studies of flamenco dancers indicated incidences

of injury to the ankle-foot complex of 45% and

40% (Salter-Pedersen and Wilmerding, 1998),

and a study of tap dancers showed that 36% of all

injuries occurred in the ankle and foot (Mayers,

Judelson, and Bronner, 2003). So, despite differ-

ing demands of varied dance forms, all of the dance

forms studied showed a high incidence of injury to

the ankle and foot, although at least in ballet, with

a higher incidence in female versus male dancers

(Liederbach, 2000).

Prevention of Ankle and Foot Injuries

Considering the high incidence of injury involving

the ankle and foot, prevention of injuries to this

region should be a priority for dancers. Preventive

conditioning measures include trying to avoid abrupt

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