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[i]Thanks for responding. To be more specific, I am pretty much an advanced tap dancer...and have been able to pull off some jazz and some ballet. My pain began with the run of a complete tap dance musical in which I played a chorus boy...over 200 performances of this show left a lot of aches and pains as you can imagine. Besides the occasional blister or extra sensitive arches/toes/heels from tapping away (which I expected) the dull pain began to grow more obvious off and onstage. The pain is over my fifth and fourth metatarsal most of the time (within that intricate network of muscles) and sometimes lingers under my heel as well. There was a particular tap move in that show that I know attributed to my heel feeling particularly sore....but after the show completed its run, my heel felt much better. During and after that show I developed about three places in my left foot that "crack" when rotating my foot (part of a warm-up) as though you were "cracking" your knuckles. The cracks seem to be around my ankle and withing that network of intricate bones nearing my fourth and fifth metatarsal. I had never experienced "cracking" in my foot before that.After that show...I found work in theatre (it just so happened) that was non-daning in content for a period of time.Now, about 8 months later...the new production that I am in has a small amount of jazz dancing and I am sure to stretch out before we begin. I had not noticed any recurring pain until after the rehearsal period had finished. During the rehearsal period, I was wearing jazz shoes....the half tennis shoe/half jazz shoe version....but now I am in men's character/jazz shoes for the course of the run (I was in men's character tap shoes and jazz shoes for the tap show.) This combination involved leaps, turns, soft-shoe and simple taps...not too too complicated....The pain is offstage and on....but particularly more noticable just after the dance. It feels as though the network of muscles over or around my fourth/fifth metatarsal area are all pulling in some odd direction...there is a great amount of pressure on the top of my foot and it is starting to pulse when I am on my foot after the dance. When not dancing, the muscles in my foot often feel very STIFF especially around the mentioned problem area. Sometimes a simple rotation of my ankle will CRACK and pop my foot and leave it feeling more relieved. (Something I assume is probably not good for your foot...)I often analyze the dance steps I am doing to make sure I am not killing my foot on a particular step (I sometimes seem to be rather heavy-footed: I think from trying to hit all of those intricate tap sounds from previous training.) Anyway, I have tried to lighten up a bit. Ocassionally, my heel is still involved in this pain as well. My feet have always been troublesome when I am on them for too long (as I expect everyones are)...however, increasingly, there is pain in my left foot dancing or not....Stiff at times, dull at times, pulsing at times....mostly in the mentioned problem area. Specifically...it feels as though I am pulling the network of muscles that cover the top of my foot over the fifth and fouth metatarsal bones. Also, During the preview performance...I tapped my left foot behind my right leading with the toe (a step in our jazz sequence)....and just as I did it, it felt like my entire left foot must have shattered. I noticed the pain really began to recur after that (probably obviousely) and it resembled the same pain I had experienced after that big ol' tap show.I have tried insoles, lightening up, stretching for the targeted achilles tendon area, pointing and flexing and rotating constantly to target the "problem" site, deep tissue massage, arnica gel, ben gay, staying off my feet on my days off, and a couple of other tactics to lessen the pain. Beyond normal dancing wear and tear...I feel there must be a reason my foot is just not loosening up.I plan on seeing a physician/physical therapist very soon....beyond rest, ice, compression, and elevation, I just wondered if anyone else had experienced this specific pain and if so, what the hell is it?? Do I need to stop dancing or what? I sure hope not.amstel>Hi amstel! >Not many responses as of yet. I think the problem with that is that most all of us male dancers have foot pain, temorary and recurrent, and just continue on accepting it! >A few comments.... >When describing pain you have to use specific terms, like "sharp" "dull" "stabbing" "aching" and so forth. You need to specify the site or area of pain clearly, like "pin-point pain above the inside of the big toe" or "a dull aching across the top of the foot, half-way up from the toes, from the inside to the outside" and so forth. >For example, you say pain "under the bone that protrudes from my ankle." Actually, there are two different boney projections by the ankle, which represent the ends of the two different bones of the leg. Which one are you talking about? >It's also necessary to give a good "history" of the pain, like "started after I landed from a leap" or "been there since my dog bit me" (hey! I like to lighten up, too), but you see what I mean. The history should also include when it gets worse and when it gets better. >I think you get the picture. This is why it's very difficult to give and get advice over the web...because neither the giver or getter gets the whole picture. This is why I always end up telling someone to see their family physician, because he or she can get to any information that has been left out. >Also, it's important to describe the type of dance you're into, ballet, jazz, modern, Irish-step, etc. and what LEVEL you're at. AND describe what kind of footwear you use. >Please try and describe you pain again, and maybe we can get down to a discussion of it. >DancingDoc >>Hello, >>I dance regularly and have been experiencing pain on the top section of my foot: before my toes and under the bone that protrudes from my ankle. I wondered if anyone has experienced this before...and if so what did you do about it? I have gone through several bouts of shin splints and don't know if this could be related or not. As of now, I ice my foot and use arnica gel to relieve some of the mild discomfort. I stretch out regularly before dancing as well. Any suggestions???? Thanks. [/i]

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