If you have pre-existing problems with your feet (e.g., prior injuries, bunions, etc.), pay attention to any nagging pain that increases or doesn't go away: it might mean you're in for worse that could be prevented if you stay on top of things.
I thought my bunions, which have given me only slight pain over the years despite thoroughly abusing my feet at times, were acting up because of dancing. Nope. Or rather, not entirely.
I wondered about the swelling, but thought, "eh dancing, whatev." I recall coming home from work in pain during the last two weeks before my "sabbatical" and crying from the pain, which isn't something I did from surgeries or infusion treatments. Also, I was wondering why it hurt worse than the times I had broken bones (admittedly, those bones weren't also supporting my weight, but still). I couldn't walk in sneakers without pain that made me take them off, even when I was out in public.
First doc, my usual one who treats my knee problems, let me know I was on the verge of a stress fracture in two little bones in the pad of the foot (I forget what they're called).
He sent me to doc #2, who recommended Insolia, to redistribute my weight onto my heels even though I'm still in fairly ridiculous shoes. He diagnosed me: I wound up dislocating bones in the foot one night, which never really went back into place and now are grinding on top of each other. My xray wasn't encouraging, though it was diagnostic because it shows which bones have to be shoved back down and kept there; the mechanics of dancing (and some of plain old real life) unfortunately force that bone to be pushed up and grinding. Weight-bearing relative to position seem to be the key in whether it hurts or not; I could and do drive without issue.
The bone pain from grinding on each other sucks, but the compensating actions have caused trouble in the soft tissue (e.g., fascia, calves, tilt of kneecap that is grinding). I left for PT at 3 and didn't get back until 5:25 - it's been intensive since I have promised myself I will do everything to prevent a slide into more problems and winding up on a walker again. It's not like strengthening exercises are going to solve this particular issue, although they work beautifully for other problems. Currently I am trying to avoid having chicken cartlidge injected under my kneecaps.
I said there has to be a way to tape or otherwise mechanically counteract the way the bones want to misbehave, including an insert made by molding my foot, sort of like how a prosthesis works. I'm on a hunt for solutions as dancing helped my income and fit my need for flexibility, hours, and pacing myself at work. Dancing itself was/is a solution for me, and I'll need it for some more time. I don't want to lose it.
If I am able to return to dancing in August (assuming this problem doesn't get out of control), then I'll have to buy new shoes to cover whatever support I decide on, so the ugly aspect of this doesn't bother me. I only care about functionality and finding a way to preserve the joint/bones (I have bone disease from long-term corticosteroid use, for which I'm treated with Aredia, so there's an added motivation to keep this small).
We're trying taping to start. Anyone did this?
Some pics to 'splain the issue and to show what we're up to:
The problem is in my right foot. I have a bad injury in my left SI joint, so I use my right side to compensate, which means it bears more than its assigned share of weight-bearing. The left shoe still has some of the original treads after dancing for just over two months on it:
The right shoe, which is falling apart to the point I was picking up pieces of it:
The incline is the problem, because once the arch is stretched out like that, all of my weight is landing on those bones that are dislocated. I might have had a weakness there to begin with, but the consensus is that the dislocation was caused over time by my weight landing right on that spot above what would be the bunion:
The solution is something akin to just being on flats or tiny heels with platforms with the slightest incline and some insolias - and taping, if that works.
Here is the taping prototype. I'm going to put on platform heels later and see if this holds up.
You can see some of the inflammation. Also, right at the joint near the edge of the tape, I'm already starting to bleed from the skin being pulled off, so I'm not sure how to handle that aspect of taping (one of my drugs causes some skin issues that compound this problem).
Does anyone have any other way to tape or an insert? Pics much appreciated.








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