The Eight Main Causes of Cramps: Causes 1 – 4 Part 2

Yellow Daffodils can relieve stress.

The Eight Main Causes of Cramps:  Causes 1 – 4   Part 2

So experience any cramps since my last blog post?  If you answered yes, did you remember to use my quick tip on how to alleviate cramps quickly?   I sincerely hope so! I frankfully admit to being compelled to use it on several occasions myself!  

One particularly painful episode hit me broadside out of the blue one evening traveling along the lower side of my right leg just below the knee.  It took me aback at first because I don’t usually suffer from cramps in that general area.   I immediately wondered if pulling my foot back towards my upper body would incorporate the muscles causing the pain and ultimately stop the spasm in its tracks.   With nothing to lose and everything to gain, I flexed my foot accordingly and felt the pain lessen substanstantially in an instant.  Yes! I released the foot and then flexed it once again….. it had vanished!

This story narrates that a muscle spasm can hit anytime, anywhere and always when you least expect it.  The tip works for various cramps no matter their precise location even when slightly modified.  Just remember to use it!

First Four Causes of Muscle Cramps in Dancers

The more we can avert these fun suckers from taking place, the better and more relaxed we can dance, rest and play.  Without further ado, let’s turn our full attention to discussing the first four main causes of muscle cramps suffered by dancer the most: 

1. Fatigued or overworked muscles.   Taking part in a long and/or strenuous dance or exercise session may trigger your muscles to tire at some point after completion Many times the effects of this “misuse” are not felt until hours after ceasing your activity.  You feel exceptional while falling asleep that night congratulating yourself for a job well done.  The next morning reality hits you like a ton of bricks (literally!) making it almost impossible to drag yourself out of bed as your muscles scream in full revolt! Then you immediately wonder, “Now what do I do?” Right? 

Per Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D., sports medicine practitioner of the Sports Medicine Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland, “Every time you exercise, your muscles are injured….It takes 48 hours for muscles to heal from exercise.  Soreness means damage, and you should stop exercising when you feel sore.”[i]  

Uh oh! So now what can you do?  Well he also advises that in order to start the healing process immediately, gentle stretching should be performed.  Stretching? Yes, stretching as it lengthens the muscles which have been “shortened” from the injury thus allowing for healing to commence and to make it less likely to be injured or torn in the future.[ii]  

Learn to take your body seriously and be savvy when it shows signs of fatigue.  Discontinue your activity as soon as possible.  If attending class or at a competition, it may not be plausible for you to stop immediately so keep going until you can.  Slowing down your pace and taking breaks can help tremendously to lesson the “damage.” 

Dr. Allan Levy, M.D., a director of the Department of Sports Medicine at Pascack Valley Hospital in New Jersey and team physician for the New York Giants football team and the New Jersey Nets basketball team, advises that to combat cramps and spasms, “gradually stretch the muscle out and you’ll get the muscle to relax.”  In regards to times when you drive yourself too hard, the amount of rest needed to get your muscles back to prime shape depends on the “severity of the injury and the situation.”  So a cramp may require a few minutes of rest while a severe strain make takes hours, days, or weeks to heel.[iii]  When you deem possible, let your body and its’ overtaxed muscles rest the next day at the very least.

One of the best remedies includes elevating your feet and legs for at least 5 to 10 minutes before retiring for the night.  Simply lie down with your back on the bed.  Place both feet flat on the wall in a resting position higher than the rest of your body.  Just lay still and relax everything for about 10 minutes.  Elevating your legs and feet jumpstarts your body to eliminate some of the toxins, such a lactic acid, that has accumulated in your muscles while dancing and improves your overall circulation. Repeat again in the morning if desired.[iv]

 

2. Weak muscles of the leg and foot.   “Feebleness” in the muscles transpires from a lack of exercise, improper use, illness, or injury.  Cramps specifically in the foot occur from possessing weak “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” muscles.  The extrinsic muscles are situated beginning in the lower leg and then connect to the bones of the foot.  In conjunction, four layers of intrinsic muscles run across the bottom and then attach at each end of its’ bones.  These vital muscles assist dancers to achieve three fundamental tasks: 

-          to rise up high on the toes

-          to move their toes while walking

-          to prevent their toes from curling under when pointing the feet.[v]

 

Now do you realize their true importance?  For a dancer…imperative!

The best remedy includes performing a great number of strengthening exercises designed specifically for a dancer’s feet, arches, and legs.  Also remember that engaging your “tripod foot” and maintaining equal weight distribution on each of those three points as you dance is crucial to preventing cramps and avoiding long term injury.  Start by completing all of the tripod foot exercises already discussed in the previous blogs paying special attention to number 5 the “dooming exercise.”  (Over the next few months, other exercises will be introduced to be added to your dance bag of knowledge to further augment your progress.) 

As your intrinsic and extrinsic muscles get stronger, the cramping should magically disappear usually within a few days or weeks depending on how often you workout. Aim to complete about 10 minutes of exercising at least 3 times a week.  Just keep in mind that if you stop for a prolonged length time, do not be surprised if the cramps return again.  Don’t be alarmed, just continue, employ your quick release tip and let them pass into oblivion. 

3.  Learned something new.  Anytime you learn a “new move”, it may necessitate using a new muscle group not previous engaged before and/or might require you to support the weight of the body differently.  Both scenarios often result in additional stress and strain.  

The problem is common among beginner dancers or exercisers whose muscles prove to be weak or just not yet quite strong enough to do the step properly.  Even professionals who have danced for years will still undergo the same muscular soreness.  In Irish dancing, different muscles must be engaged to master the more challenging steps.  So as you “move up ladder” from beginner to novice to prizewinner to champ, the steps get faster and more difficult necessitating the use of more and more of your muscles.  (It never stops!)  Some good advice is to keep repeating the dance step or exercise over and over allowing your body to become stronger and stronger.  Finally as it adapts, any cramps you may be experiencing will stop. 

4. Tight shoes.  Almost everyone will deal with “tight shoes” at some point in their dancing career but the problem rages rampantly among ballet and Irish dancers.  Irish dancers use two types of shoes: the soft pumps known as ghillies and the jig/hard shoes.  A breaking-in period exists every time new shoes are purchased.  For dancers over the age of eighteen whose feet have stopped growing, the shoes must fit skin-tight at first due to their extreme stretchibility.   The reverse is true for children.  Owning to their ever-growing feet, all dance shoes should be bought one-half size larger then their regular fit (and I mean ONLY one-half size!)  (The dangers of improper shoe sizing for Irish dancers will be discussed in greater detail in my book to be released in January 2014 entitled Irish Dance Shoes Decoded:  Tips, Tricks, and Tools Every Dancer Can Used to be published in two volumes.  Watch for it!)

To minimize this problem, buy used shoes which are already broken in by someone else.  Key fitting point:  Place them on their feet.  If the dancer’s toes try to curl under at all,  that signals that the shoes are too small and must get a larger size.  If the shoes are brand new and unworn, work on breaking them in everyday until they stretch and fit.   Once you do, the cramps (and blisters) should stop.  Wearing tight shoes for even a very short period time can create pains in the feet, legs, and even across the backs of any dancer.  In my case, the nails of my big toe become painful and sore to the touch for at least 24 hours AFTER I take off the painful offenders.  If your feet hurt during class, explain to your teacher your problem and ask to take the shoes off for the rest of the time.  

As soon as possible after class, take a few minutes to “massage” your feet and toes.  It can help release unwanted toxins and help boost your circulation.  It always feels great!

In Conclusion

Lots to digest, right?  I know but I really want you to be able to dance and live as pain-free as possible.  But before I go…

Another Quick Tip to Alleviate Cramps

This is extremely easy to do and can be learned in an instant.  It uses a simple acupressure technique called “aucupinch” and is found in Bottom Lines’ Healing Remedy book by Joan and Lydia Wilen.“As soon as you get a cramp, use your thumb and your index finger and pinch your philtrum – the skin between your upper lip and your nose.  Keep pinching for about 20 seconds.  The pain and cramp should disappear.” [vi]

 

Don’t you love!  Until next time when we will look at the last four main causes cramps.  Stay tune and enjoy the dance.  

Sharon

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[i]The Editors of Prevention Magazine, The Doctors book of Home Remedies, Rodale Press, Inc., Emmaus, Pennsylvania, 1990, p. 434.

[ii] The Editors of Prevention Magazine, The Doctors book of Home Remedies, Rodale Press, Inc., Emmaus, Pennsylvania, 1990, p. 437.

[iv] Wilen, Joan and Lydia, Bottom Line’s Healing Remedies –Over 1,000 Astounding Ways to Heal Arthritis, Asthma, High Blood Pressure, Varicose Veins, Warts and More! , Stamford, Connecticut, 2006, p.135.

[v] Watkins, Andrea and Priscilla M. Clarkson, Dancing Longer, Dancing Stronger: A Dancer’s Guide to Improving Technique and Preventing Injury, Princeton Book Company,  Princeton, New Jersey,  1990, p. 62.

[vi] Wilen, Joan and Lydia, Bottom Line’s Healing Remedies –Over 1,000 Astounding Ways to Heal Arthritis, Asthma, High Blood Pressure, Varicose Veins, Warts and More! , Stamford, Connecticut, 2006, p.136.

Decoding: The Eight Main Causes for Foot Cramps, Part 1

Getting my hard shoes ready for fall classes, August 2013

Foot Cramps Can Stop You in Your Tracks

As dance classes start back after summer vacation and many of us have achieved semi-couch potato status, our bodies quite possibly have gotten a little bit out of shape.  Believe me those first couple of classes may come across as extremely tough….especially on those unused muscles.  

You return to class feeling totally “in the zone” when all of a sudden, excruciating pain stabs you in your feet or legs stopping you dead in your tracks!  Oh no! A dreaded foot or leg cramp has made a surprise visit shattering your happiness.  You drop down to the floor without conscious thought clutching the throbbing offender all the while hoping for an immediate reprieve.  Learning the causes of these muscle "spasms" and how to alleviate them as quickly as possible stands as one of the keys to a more pain-free dancing life. Before  introducing any more new exercises for the body,  we must address the issue of cramps first.

What is a Cramp?

A cramp, in simplest terms, transpires when a muscle in your body just won’t stop contracting.  As Dr. Gerard Bozuma, M. D. from Wakefield, New Hampshire, states in the book, Home Remedies from the Country Doctor, they are triggered by “a chemical imbalance – an erroneous chemical signal from the nervous system to the muscle telling it to contract.”[i]   In general, our muscles produce “chemical byproducts" whenever we overuse them which then can affect any other muscles in the body.  

Think about it.  All of us regularly experience cramps all the time:  in our stomachs, our shoulders, our feet, writer’s cramps in our hands, and runner cramps in our calves. Just remember no matter what part of the body is being attacked, the pain should subside quickly typically within just a few seconds to several minutes as the muscles relax.  More severe ones, however, may last at least an hour or longer.   If the pain does not dissipate after “several hours,” please seek medical attention to rule out the possibility of a more serious problem.  No matter what….just hang in there.

Where Dancer Cramps Happen

Dancers, as a whole, experience a multitude of cramps quite often in their leg calf muscles.  Irish dancers in particular utilize these muscles extensively because we literally "dance on our toes” ninety-eight percent of the time.  Just as importantly, we must continually “point and flex” our feet often creating aching cramps centering in the arches.  “Arch cramps” are a familiar companion of mine as I suffer many concentrated in that area. (This is particularly true when I stop doing foot exercises for any length of time.) 

Another place they tend to crop up without warning is across the shoulders or up the neck.  This rings especially true for beginner and novice dancers.  They tend to hold massive amounts of tension in those locations while attempting to keep their body in “position” during both class and while practicing at home.  More experienced dancers have mastered the ability to “relax” their upper body and neck while continuing to dance strongly, all the while maintaining superb posture during step execution.    This skill is one that all Irish dancers should aspire to perfect. 

Eight Main Cause of Cramps

So I began researching the subject to find out exactly what causes them and then how to control and/or eliminate those “fun sappers” from my own body.   Over all, there are dozens and dozens of triggers for cramps depending on each person’s unique circumstances.  To make everything easier to understand, I have divided and separated them into “eight main” categories which include the following:

1. Weak muscles in the leg and feet.
2. Fatigued or overworked muscles.
3. Learning something new.
4. Wearing tight shoes.
5. Experiencing circulatory problems.
6. A vitamin or mineral deficiency.
7. Experience class or performance anxiety.
8. Taking certain medications.   

Are any of the reasons making you think twice already?  If so, make a mental note of them immediately.  Most of the time, first instincts often prove best.   

In the next two blogs,  I will describe each cause and will provide some quick tips on how to minimize their effects when possible…definitely something to look forward to learning.  

In the meantime……………..

A Quick Tip to Alleviate Arch Cramps:     Upon onset of the pain, immediately stop the action causing the cramp.  Hold very still and do not move for a few seconds.  Has it stopped? Many times just halting the activity will halt the pain. If not, move the foot in the opposite direction.  Hold still a few more seconds as you work on relaxing your feet and ankles.  Gone now?  Wiggle your feet and toes to make sure that you are truly cramp free!   Amazing!

Until the next blog, have fun and enjoy the dance.

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[i] Heinrichs, Jay and Dorothy Behlen, Home Remedies from the Country Doctor,  Yankee Publishing, United States, 1999, pp. 128- 129.

Decoding the Tripod Foot: Part 4: The Doming Exercise and Conclusion

Over a week has past since my last post.  Have you had time to work with those three new exercises?  Are you feet becoming stronger?  More connected to the ground?  Great!  That makes me smile!  

My Results Have Been Exciting

The results I am experiencing incorporate a vast improvement in my feet including my ankles and legs as well! At this very moment sitting here typing at the kitchen table, I sense all three points of my foot gently connecting to the floor.  What a wonderful sensation!  How confident and safe!  And even more excitingly, yesterday while practicing some simple hard shoe drills,   I discovered I had greater stability overall and my taps sounded crisper and stronger.  Wow!  After fighting injuries over the last two years, my left foot has become so much weaker overall than my right. As of this week, I am finally experiencing some marked improvement!  Yet I can feel that weakness still remains, reminding me that more work is definitely needed.

Remember the key to achieving strong, loud and crisp taps is keeping your toes “relaxed” but spread out in the shoes.  Then  you must "connect" those two points of your tripod foot (located in the balls of your feet) to the floor every time your hard shoes hit the ground. Not rocket science, just good technique.  One quick side note to remember, NEVER curl you toes under while dancing! There is one correct way to point your toes which will be discussed in much greater detail on another blog.  For right now, no toe curling please!

Now to discuss the three final exercises to keep enhancing the use of the tripod foot in our day to day lives.

Tripod Foot Exercise 5: Doming

One of the best overall exercises for foot and arch strengthening has its roots in Pilate's.  It can be found under different names such doming or arch lifts but the fundamental move is the same. I have modified the basic exercise for emphasis of the use of the tripod foot.  It works to strengthen the three arches (transverses, medial longitudinal and lateral longitudinal,) the Lumbricals, and the Flexor Digitorum Brevis muscles of the feet. 

1. Sit in a dining room style chair.  Feet flat in parallel.  Concentrate and employ the tripod foot on the right foot so you can feel the three distinct points firmly on the ground.   The left foot should remain relaxed. 
2. The toe pads should be in contact with the floor at all times. Do not allow them to scrunch underneath. 
3. Engage/pull up the muscles of all three arches creating a “dome” with your foot.  (It should look like a cave entrance.) 
4. Hold for 3 seconds and release. 
5. Repeat on the same foot.  Start with 3 – 4 repetitions on each foot.  Work up to 15 total. Rest briefly.  
6. Variation: repeat the whole exercise again but this time alternate your feet each time.  Work up to 20 (ten each feet) total.

Doming Exercise

The next two exercises are from Raoul Gelabert’s Anatomy for the Dancer book.  He has no official names for his exercises so I have named them for easier reference. [i]

Tripod Foot Exercise 6: Rolling Back and Forth

This first exercise, quite simple in execution, is specifically to develop the arch of the foot.  Hold onto a ballet barre or chair for support.

1. Stand with feet flat in parallel, toes straight ahead.  Concentrate and employ the tripod foot on both feet so you can feel the three distinct points firmly on the ground.   Ankles should remain relaxed.    
2. While working with both feet simultaneously, roll your weight to the outer border of both feet.  Hold for a count of eight.  
3. Then roll weight to the inner border of both feet.  Hold for a count of eight.  
4. Repeat at least 5 times.

Rolling to the inner foot.

Rolling to the outer foot.

Tripod Foot Exercise 7: Toe Magic  

The second exercise is specifically designed to help straighten your toes so they are able to  grip the floor stronger.  Hold onto a ballet barre or chair for support.  

1. Stand with feet flat in parallel, toes straight ahead.  Concentrate and employ the tripod foot on both feet so you can feel the three distinct points firmly on the ground.   The ankles should remain relaxed.
2. Raise  all your toes up in the air while keeping your heel and the balls of your feet on the ground.     
3. Slowly lower your little toes to the ground.         
4. Continue placing each toe in succession separately ending with the bid toe last.     Repeat doing both feet simultaneously 5 – 10 times.

This will take a lot of control and muscle work.  Be patient and work at your own pace at first.  Try working one foot at a time or holding onto the toes gently if your find yourself really struggling.  That is ok. 

Toe Magic placing the little toes on the floor first.

              

Toe Magic placing each toe one by one.

Tripod Foot Conclusion

So this concludes our current discussion of the tripod foot at this time. Great, I hope things are progressing well for you.  Now you have got 7 exercises to help you gain the strength and stability all Irish dancers need.  You can break them up into two groups and then work on them on alternating days.  Or do all on one day,  rest the next, and then repeat all again the next.  The key is to do some exercises for your feet at least twice a week.

After performing myriads of foot exercises, you may start experiencing a multitude of foot cramps. I know I did!  Not a serious condition, no, but one that is painful and can sideline your activities for awhile.  The next blogs will discuss the 8 main causes of cramps and how to keep them at a minimum.   Watch for them.  

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[i] Como, William, Raoul Gelabert’s Anatomy for the Dancer with exercises to improve technique and prevent injuries.     Dance Magazine, New York, New York, 1984, p. 53.

Decoding: The Tripod Foot: Part 3 More Exercises for the Irish Dancer

Had a chance to play with the mind play exercise for the tripod foot yet? Experience any astonishing “a-ha” moments of revelation?   If not, congratulations!  You may already be using the tripod foot accurately.  If so, then you will need to isolate “why” it is happening.

Many “misuse” problems are more easily identifiable by other people rather than yourself.  So it is a great suggestion to get your teacher, a family member, or friend involved to observe you as you walk, dance, and even sit in a chair.   Where is your weight being born by the feet? Are you ankles/feet rolling in towards each other? Away from each other?  Is your entire body and legs “still” as you stand or are parts continually moving around? 

Do not worry if you cannot immediately identify your own personal “why” at first.  Remember it took me years to figure out my problems.  What you can do, right now, is to perform exercises for the feet, arches and ankles each week.  Then as you get physically stronger, do the mind play exercise again and see if the results are different.

Foot Disabilities Are Caused by Improper Technique

Most foot disabilities/pain, if not genetic in nature, are caused by faulty weight distribution, disease, “poor posture” while walking or standing, or improper body placement while executing dance technique.  Many times after practicing “turnout” during class, students continue to walk in “turnout” after going home.[i]   It is crucial to ensure that during this training, their feet and ankles are not “rolling in” or “out” while dancing or standing in that “turned out” position.  If “rolling” persists, collapsed or fallen arches may develop making the foot completely “inflexible” and no longer suitable for dancing.  Or a more flexible arch may arise that “falls” or disappears when applying weight and then reappears when the weight is removed. [ii]   Neither scenario is desirable.  Practicing the tripod foot gives the dancer a fighting chance to have healthy feet.

Standing “Still” and Strong on the Tripod Foot:  Plant Yourself

Another problem I see quite frequently as a student/teacher, especially in the beginner ranks, is a dancer who cannot stand “still!” Some part of their body is in constant motion!  It becomes impossible for them to stand in “position” with the rest of the class and their attention span seems short. Youthful energy is one of the main causes, of course, however if the behavior is not stopped immediately, troubles will arise which include: rolling in/out of the ankles, dancing on the inner or outer part of the foot, slipping and falling, fallen arches, and weakened painful feet and ankles. 

Also if they are a competitive Irish step dancer, these unnecessary movements and gestures must be curtailed right away before their next competition if possible.  Please be aware that the adjudicators can deduct precious points from the score of any competitor who displays any behavior out of the ordinary.  This is especially true if it occurs during those first eight bars of music as it may appear that the dancer has false started.    One small wrong move can cause an otherwise 1^st place performance to be scored as a 2^nd or even lower. 

Please bear in mind that this situation can be easily and quickly corrected.   First, practice the tripod foot exercises as described below at home where the dancer can concentrate on getting them right and not be distracted by fellow classmates.  Secondly, have them imagine that they are being “planted to the ground” just like a flower.   You can even make a game of it and see how long they can stay “planted.”  During class as they stand in “dancer position,” once again have them envision being “planted” into the dance floor.   Before long, they will forget about fidgeting and remain still. 

Many dance teachers are not taught this foundational process of proper foot usage as students and so never incorporate it into their own dancing or teaching. So it is up to the students themselves to learn proper technique on their own.  Here are three exercises using the tripod foot so you can reap the rewards of using proper technique in your Irish dance shoes.

Tripod Foot Exercise 3:  Engaged Tripod Foot in Parallel

Stand or sit on a dining room table chair with you feet firmly on the ground and parallel to each other.  You can do this one barefoot or wearing socks or shoes.

1. Engage the three points of the tripod on both feet at the same time so that your weight is borne equally by all points.  
2. Press all the toe pads gently onto the ground.  Do not allow them to grip the floor or curl underneath.  
3. Activate the arches of each foot. 
4. Think about “planting” yourself to the ground.  The rest of your body should remain still. 
5.  Relax the muscles, tendons and joints of your ankles. 
6. If you are having trouble activating your arches and/or your toes keep scrunching up, bend over and gently press down on your toes to hold them into place. 
7. Hold the position for about 5 – 10 seconds.  Release.  Repeat 10 – 15 times. 

Variations for Irish Dancers

The next two exercises are variations of the one above but specifically geared for Irish dancers.  First do the exercise with your ghillies on and then repeat wearing your jig shoes.  You may find little difference between doing it barefoot and then doing it with the soft shoes.  You should experience a huge amount of differentiation when wearing your hard shoes due to the addition of the elevated toes and heels.

Tripod Foot Exercise 3:  Engaged Tripod Foot in the “10 and 2” position.

Stand with your flat feet and turned out into the “10 & 2” position: left foot stands in the “10” o’clock position and the right foot in the “2” o’clock position.   Heels touching. 
Hold onto a ballet barre or back of chair if you need a little help with balance.

1. Repeat steps 1- 5 for the exercise above exactly. 
2. Does it feel different with your shoes on?  You may need to compensate for any Poron padding in your shoes. 
3. Hold the position for about 5 – 10 seconds.  Release.  Repeat 10 - 15 times. 

Tripod foot exercise wearing ghillies in the 10 and 2 position.

Tripod Foot Exercise 4: Engaged Tripod Foot in the Crossed position

From the “10 and 2 position,” left foot stays solidly in place as the right foot is placed so its toes are directly in front of the left toes.  Employ the same “2 position” for the right foot while resting on the ground.  Both feet should be touching.   Hold onto a ballet barre or back of chair if you need a little help with balance.

1. Repeat steps 1 to 6 for the exercise above exactly.  
2. Hold the position for about 5 – 10 seconds.  Release.  Repeat 10 - 15 times.

Tripod foot exercise wearing ghillies in the crossed position.

Time to Practice and Grow Stronger

Now you have three more tripod foot exercises in your collection.  Please use them.  By applying your weight appropriately on those three points while dancing, your feet and ankles will become strong and stable to handle all your intricate steps, especially leaping and jumping.  General foot pain should be kept to a minimum while ankle injuries due to slipping and falling can become a thing of the past.

The next blog will be the fourth and final segment of the tripod foot with additional exercises for the feet including an excellent one known as “doming.”.  Watch for the post as you don’t want to miss it!

In the meantime remember to employ my 3 P motto: 

PRACTICE                      PRACTICE                            PRACTICE

Have fun and enjoy your dancing!

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[i] Como, William.

[ii] Ibid.

Decoding How an Irish Dancer Excels: Tripod Foot: Part 2

So now you know the basics concerning how to “engage” your tripod foot.  Great! Had an opportunity to experiment with the exercise yet?  I hope so.   If not, go back and do so soon.  If yes, feeling any difference in your walking/dancing?

 

How I was Introduced to the Tripod Foot

Perhaps you are a little curious about what led me to the study and my own usage of the tripod foot?  Fantastic question.  Many years ago, I developed pain across the top of my left foot.  To make a long story short, I went on a research spree for many years searching for an explanation and ultimate cure. Luckily for me it did not happen continually, but whenever flare ups occurred, I struggled to dance through the cringe-making pain.  Not only that, but my left foot felt so weak all the time and would drop to the floor without warning while performing simple steps of my reels and jigs!  Since Irish step dancers must remain high on their toes constantly, this was devastating when it happened during competitions! 

I was first introduced to the tripod foot while taking Alexander Technique lessons as previously noted.   My teacher and I worked countless months on many aspects of my body “misuse” but the pain in my left foot often took center stage.  Due to the decline of my Mother’s health, not my own, I stopped my lessons.  As events unfolded in her life, I would forget for a time what I had learned. 

Whenever circumstances seemed to calm down briefly or the pain in my foot worsened, I would remember these simple techniques once more.  This past year while writing my book on Irish dance shoes and getting this blog up and running,  I am once again in research mode and striving to incorporate good practices into my everyday living.  And of course, the use of the tripod foot while walking, standing, sitting and, most of all, dancing is one of the most crucial!

The Tripod Foot is Not a New Concept

The concept of the tripod foot and its significance to dancing has been around for decades.  Way back in 1964, Dance Magazine produced a book entitled, “Raoul Gelabert’s Anatomy for the Dancer with exercises to improve technique and prevent injuries” to address the physical ailments being suffered by many fellow dancers including his own self.  Gelabert, a well-known New York City ballet teacher and dance physical therapist, had studied at The Royal Ballet teaching school before opening his own school in New York City and became an authority on dance therapy.  This short concise book explains superbly how and why the use of the tripod foot is so very important by all dancers:

 

“When the foot is taking the weight of the body, it should be holding the ground equally at three points: behind, the back of the calcareous; in front, the heads of the 1st and 5^th metatarsals (the 1^st and 5^th toes).  This triangle creates a base from which the muscles of the leg and sole of the foot can work strongly.  This triangle also works to hold up the foot’s arch.  In this position, the long muscles of the leg, having no actual movement to perform, give the ankle and foot the stability and balance it needs.”

In other words, the greater “balance” the dancer can maintain while executing her steps, the greater chance that the weight will been born by the stronger parts of the foot.  So the less load the feet must hold, the less stress and strain they must endure and the less chance injuries will occur.[i]    The use of the tripod foot to remedy foot pain will be further discussed in the next blog.

To begin with let’s work with the first exercise specifically for the tripod foot that I like to call “mind play!  It is one of my own designs and has proven quite successful for me.  Now time to share it with you.

Tripod Foot Exercise 1:  Mind Play 


Sit in a chair and place both feet flat but firmly on the floor parallel to each other. At first do the exercise with bare feet or socks but then repeat while wearing shoes as you get more proficient.

1.  Using your mind, imagine the three points of the tripod foot one at time. Try to feel them mentally.  It does not matter in which order you do this. Just keep concentrating until you can feel the one point that you are working on at that moment.  
2. When ready, move to the 2nd point and play around with it.
3. Then finish by working on the third point.   
4. Are some points easier to feel than others? 
5.  Once you can isolate them separately, play around by alternating the order of the points as you think about them.  
6.  Lastly engage all three at the same time.

Do the exercise for at least 2 – 5 minutes each day (or longer if having a lot of fun.)  That’s the exercise! The best part is that you can do it anytime, anywhere!  
 

Position of Feet for Tripod Foot Exercise 1:  Mind Play

My Results

When I did this exercise for the first time over a year ago, I had no problem sensing each position on my right foot in any combination since it is my dominant foot.  But when I tried concentrating on my left, I failed to “feel” the place behind my little toe.  In an instant I realized that by not feeling that one point during the exercise meant that I was probably NOT utilizing my foot properly while walking around either.  Ultimately I was dancing only on three toes!    No wonder I was struggling with my balance and suffering from mysterious pain.  


With that knowledge revealed I immediately began to rehabilitate my feet by doing all the exercises that I could.  After exercising almost every day over the last few months, I can now report I am finally using all the points of my tripod foot while dancing in my ghillies (an Irish soft dancing shoe.)  As a result, my feet feel happier and healthier as I am able to dance longer and longer without pain thus creating an additional lightness to my steps! 

My hope is that you too can benefit greatly from using this simple technique as well.  Do this exercise at least two minutes a day everyday at first.  Make note of any points that are difficult for you to pin down.  Look in a mirror or ask your teacher or friend to pinpoint any misuse in your body alignment or dynamics that they see.  Then work on correcting those areas.  

The next blog will be part three of our tripod foot discussion and contain more exercises.  Watch for it!

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[i] Como, William, Raoul Gelabert’s Anatomy for the Dancer with exercises to improve technique and prevent injuries.     Dance Magazine, New York, New York, 1984, p. 51.