Re: The Effects of Dance Training on Children’s Foot Arch
I'm curious as to what the researchers mean by "over-stretching movements".
The primary movements of the foot in dance are plantarflexion and dorsiflexion so I'm a little mystified as to how these movements can "over-stretch" the foot and cause decrease in elasticity in soft tissue and structural dysfunction.
If this is what the researchers observed then they may have been observing the use of "foot-stretching" devices or activities amongst the dancing cohort which are supposed to increase the arch height of the foot but could well be causing structual dysfunction of the foot.
I don't believe dance itself could be causing lowering of the arch and structural problems of the foot.
I did my MSc thesis on "foot-stretching" devices and activities in dancers and although it was not possible to link these devices to foot injury in dancers there has been an increase in male dancers with disruption of the LisFranc joint since about 2000 when these devices became commercially available.
Before this time, female dancers reported this injury but it was generally believed it was an injury caused by pointe shoes.
Hopefully this study will be published in more detail in the future.
Effects of ballet training of children in Turkey on foot anthropometric measurements and medial longitudinal arc development.
Ozdinc SA, Turan FN J Pak Med Assoc. 2016 Jul;66(7):869-74.