Protect Your Achilles: Small Adjustments to Prevent Big Problems

The Achilles tendon: it's the powerhouse behind every jump, plié, and relevé. This strong tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone, making it essential for dancers. But its strength also makes it vulnerable. Achilles tendon injuries can sideline you, so prioritizing its health is key. This guide will explore how small adjustments in your dance routine and equipment can keep your Achilles tendon resilient and pain-free.

Understanding the Achilles Tendon

As the largest and strongest tendon in the body, the Achilles tendon plays a crucial role in transferring power from your calf muscles to your feet. The repetitive demands of dance can put it at risk for overuse injuries.

Common Achilles Tendon Injuries in Dancers:

• Achilles Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendon, often caused by overuse, forcing turnout, improper technique, hard dance surfaces, or ill-fitting shoes. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, and swelling at the back of the heel.
• Achilles Tendinosis: A chronic condition resulting from untreated tendinitis, characterized by degeneration of the tendon and painful nodules.
• Achilles Tendon Rupture: A severe injury involving a partial or full tear of the tendon, often caused by sudden forceful movements. Symptoms include sudden, severe pain, difficulty walking, and swelling. This often requires surgery.

Early treatment and prevention are vital for avoiding chronic issues and maintaining your dance career.

Preventing Achilles Tendon Injuries: A Proactive Approach

Prevention starts with a combination of smart habits, proper technique, and the right gear.

1. Warm-Up and Stretch Smartly:

• Dynamic Warm-ups: Prepare your muscles and tendons for activity with dynamic movements like relevés, gentle cardio, and articulated tendus. This increases circulation and improves tendon pliability.
• Active Calf Stretches: After class, incorporate active calf stretches (not static) to enhance flexibility and prevent stiffness. Use a wall or barre for support. Place one foot behind you, keeping both heels on the ground. Gently lean forward, bending your front leg, feeling the stretch in the back calf. Slowly bend and straighten the back leg to target both the gastrocnemius (straight leg) and soleus (bent leg) muscles.

2. Master Your Technique:

• Soft Landings: Roll through your feet, use a deep demi-plié, and lower your heels fully when landing jumps to minimize stress on the Achilles tendon.
• Respect Your Natural Turnout: Forcing turnout can over-pronate your feet, significantly increasing injury risk. Engage your glutes to hold your turnout, ensuring your knees stay over your toes in plié.
• Full Relevé: Always rise to your highest relevé to maintain tendon length and flexibility.
• Heels Down in Plié: Keep your heels down in plié to properly engage your calf muscles and protect your Achilles tendon.

3. Choose the Right Dance Shoes and Accessories:

• Expert Fitting: Ill-fitting shoes can pinch the heel and irritate the tendon. Get a professional fitting at Linden Dancewear. If you're not local, contact us for long-distance fitting advice.
• Stretch Ribbons: Consider stretch or elasticized ribbons for pointe shoes to reduce pressure on the tendon. (See our Pointe Shoe Ribbon Guide).
• Don't Over-tighten Drawstrings: Over-tight drawstrings in pointe shoes can cause pressure and pinching. They're meant for minor adjustments, not as the primary support. If your heels slip, check your elastics are properly placed first, and then consider a refitting.
• Supportive Shoes: If you experience Achilles pain, switch to supportive shoes like dance sneakers until you recover.

4. Strengthen Your Calves:

• Calf Raises: Regularly practice relevés (with plié) and élevés (rising from a straight leg) to build strength. Aim for sets of 8 relevés followed by 8 élevés in first, second and fifth positions, followed by each leg individually. If your legs aren’t tired, repeat!
  Fun Fact: Did you know Kitri does 32 fouettés in Don Quixote? That’s 32 relevés en pointe on one leg! (This is a great strength goal to work up to!)
• Eccentric Exercises: Slowly lower your heel after a calf raise (counting to 4) to strengthen your calves and support the Achilles tendon effectively.

5. Cross-Training:

• Balanced Training: Incorporate cross-training activities like yoga, swimming, or cycling to work different muscle groups and prevent imbalances.

6. Listen to Your Body:

• Rest and Recovery: Allow your body adequate rest for muscle and tendon recovery.
• Don't Ignore Pain: If you feel any Achilles pain, stop dancing, talk to your teacher and consult a healthcare professional. Early intervention is crucial.

7. Environmental Considerations:

• Flooring: Hard or unsprung floors increase impact. Avoid concrete.
• Warm Studios: Stay warm in chilly environments to keep your tendons pliable. Linden’s has a great selection of warm-up gear for any environment!

8. What to Do If You Have Achilles Tendonitis:

• Rest and Ice: Take a break from dance and ice the area to reduce inflammation. Use ice after activity and heat before, to increase circulation.
• Technique Evaluation: Work with your teacher to identify and correct any technical flaws.
• Professional Help: If symptoms persist, consult a healthcare professional.

Small Changes... Big Impact

• Avoid Tight Drawstrings: Over-tight drawstrings can put pressure on the back of your foot.
• Tie Knots on the Side: Never tie pointe shoe ribbon knots at the back of your ankle.
• Consider Flexors: Ribbon with elastic inserts or stretch ribbon can reduce tendon tension.
• Lengthen Your Toes: Focus on smooth, controlled footwork and lengthening through your toes to avoid unnecessary stress.

The Bottom Line

Protecting your Achilles tendon is vital for a long and healthy dance career. By prioritizing technique, choosing the right footwear, and maintaining smart stretching and strengthening habits, you can dance pain-free for years to come.

We offer a range of products to support your dance journey, including elasticized pointe ribbons, supportive dance shoes, and warm-up apparel. Visit our store to find everything you need!

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