Spending an evening out shaking your stuff at the club with your friends or that special someone can be a fantastic time. Of course, if you do it too hard, there is every chance that you’ll more than pay for it in the morning. In this sense, we aren’t talking about hangovers, but rather the immense pain your feet can feel after a long night of dancing.
Most of the time the pain is simply related to simple fatigue, the same as you’d feel after walking or standing on your feet all day. In this case, there’s not much you need to worry about as it should fade within a day or two at the very most. However, the truth is that many people do end up getting wild enough out on the dance floor to actually cause a number of different injuries to their feet, and in some cases, these injuries are serious enough to warrant medical attention.
Four of the Most Common Dancing Injuries
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia is a general term that refers to pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot at the joint where the metatarsals connect with the phalanges. The condition can easily develop after a long night of dancing, while wearing shoes that are too tight is another common cause. Normally, icing the foot and trying to keep off of it as much as possible for a few days is enough to see the pain and inflammation dissipate.
Sesamoiditis
The sesamoid bones are two tiny bones located underneath the joint of the big toe and connected to the toe by a large tendon. Excessive dancing or any other repeated activity that sees a person pushing off with their big toe can lead to this tendon becoming inflamed, which can cause dull to severe pain in the ball of the foot near the big toe. In most cases, the inflammation will go away on its own with rest. However, if it doesn’t go away you may want to get an x-ray to rule out a sesamoid fracture.
Bunions
Bunion is a term applied to pain that develops in the big toe or ball of the foot that is directly related to an injury or deformity in one of the joints. This condition typically sets in over a longer period of time, meaning that a night or two of dancing typically aren’t enough to cause it unless you already have a problem with one of your joints. Unfortunately, this condition typically requires therapy or other medical treatments, which is why it’s usually necessary to see a podiatrist or other specialist.
Plantar Fasciitis
This condition occurs when the fascia tissue connecting the heel to the toes becomes inflamed due to overuse. People with plantar fasciitis typically feel the most pain first thing in the morning or immediately after dancing. This condition is easily to separate from the others as it tends to occur more across the entire sole of the foot instead of being limited to the ball or a specific joint. Like most others, rest and ice is typically enough to make the condition eventually fade away.
Conclusion
The good news is that most these conditions are quite uncommon after just one night of dancing. Nonetheless, if you go out quite often or somewhat overdid it last night, there is definitely a chance that those pains in your feet could be related to one of these conditions. Therefore, if it doesn’t go away within a few days, it’s always a good idea to have your feet checked out to ensure it’s nothing serious.
Something that will also help relieve the pressure on your feet is the type of shoes you wear. Are they too tight? Do they have enough arch? Are they appropriate for the event you will be attending? These are all things to think about when it comes to keeping your feet healthy and being able to enjoy your activities. The events that you choose to attend where there will be dancing also play a part in this. If you are attending a wedding or formal birthday party, you are more likely going to wear high heels if you’re a woman and nice, dress shoes if you are man. These are the best shoes to dance in so you should try to take a break and get off your feet from time to time. It will save yourself from increasing the pain and pressure that might already be present.
According to the Institute for Preventive Foot Health, your quality of life and your ability to function on dependent on being able to be self-sufficient, to walk, shop, visit friends, work and play. If your feet hurt or you are experiencing other foot problems, you most likely won’t be able to function at your best.
Take care of your feet and make sure, if you are experiencing any pain, go see a doctor immediately as you want to be able to function at your full capacity.