The Dance Clinic at Highett Podiatry is a specialised clinic for assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of dance injuries affecting the feet, ankles and lower limb. We help dancers reduce pain, improve technique control and return to class, rehearsal and performance safely.
Kirstine Mann and Sophie Young bring extensive ballet training alongside many years of podiatric practice. This background supports a practical, dancer-focused approach to managing common dance injuries and dancers’ foot injuries, with clear communication between the dancer, parent (where relevant) and teacher.
Find out more about our dance podiatry services.
If you’re preparing for pointe, you can attend the clinic for a pre-pointe assessment. If you’re currently sore or injured, we can diagnose the issue and prescribe a structured Return to Dance plan focused on correcting dance mechanics, technique, and posture.
Benefits of Dance Podiatry for Dancers
- Clear diagnosis of the cause of pain, not just symptom management
- Reduced risk of recurrent dance injuries during busy training periods
- Targeted strengthening to improve control through turnout, plié and relevé
- Better load management to prevent common dance injuries linked to overuse
- A practical pathway back to class with staged progressions
What You Need to Know About Common Dance Injuries
Many common dance injuries are overload-related and build gradually, especially during growth spurts, exam preparation or increased rehearsal schedules. The foot and ankle are common sites due to repeated jumping, landing, pointe work, and high training volumes.
Common areas affected include:
- Forefoot and toes (including joint irritation and load-related pain)
- Achilles and calf complex
- Ankle joint and lateral ligaments (sprains/instability)
- Midfoot and arch (strain patterns and stress responses)
Early assessment matters. When a dancer compensates to “dance through it”, technique changes can shift load into other structures and increase the risk of the dancer’s foot injuries becoming persistent.
Immediate Management
If a dancer develops sharp pain, swelling, bruising, increasing limp, night pain, or pain that worsens with each class, reduce load and book a dance injury management assessment. Continuing full training without a plan can prolong recovery and increase the risk of a longer time off.
Who Benefits Most?
- Have ongoing foot or ankle pain during or after class
- Have recurrent sprains, instability, or difficulty balancing and controlling relevé
- Are returning after time off and want a safe progression back to full load
- Are managing repeated dance injuries across a season or exam period
- Want guidance on technique-related contributors to common dance injuries
Symptoms and Diagnosis
- Forefoot, arch, heel or toe pain during jumping, pointe, demi-pointe or landing
- Swelling, tenderness, stiffness or reduced range through the ankle/foot
- Pain that increases with training volume or lingers into the next day
- A feeling of weakness, wobbliness or loss of control in single-leg work
We assess lower-limb alignment, strength, mobility, load tolerance and functional dance movement patterns. Where required, we may recommend imaging to clarify the diagnosis and guide safe progression.
Dance Podiatry Treatment
Most dance-related presentations work best with a structured plan that aligns with the dancer’s schedule and recovery capacity.
Early Care
If needed, we help settle pain and protect irritated structures while keeping overall conditioning in mind. This may include footwear advice, activity modification, bracing/taping, or short-term offloading strategies.
Restoring Movement
We address restrictions that affect technique control, such as ankle mobility limits, midfoot stiffness, or compensatory patterns through the lower limb.
Strengthening
Strength is targeted to the demands of dance: calf capacity, intrinsic foot strength, hip control, and lower-limb stability for landing mechanics and alignment.
Soft-Tissue Therapies
Where appropriate, treatment may include hands-on or adjunct therapies to reduce pain and improve function, alongside a progressive exercise plan.
Balance and Control
Single-leg stability, proprioception and control through turnout and relevé are key focus areas, especially for recurrent ankle issues and dancers’ foot injuries.
Return to Dance
A staged return considers class type, pointe load, jumps, rehearsals and upcoming performances. We liaise with the dancer and teacher where helpful, so expectations and progressions are clear.
How It Works
Consultation
We discuss training schedule, goals, footwear/pointe history, prior injuries, and what movements trigger symptoms.
Diagnosis
We complete a detailed biomechanical and functional assessment. Imaging may be suggested if the presentation warrants it.
Rehabilitation Plan
You receive a tailored plan covering load management, strengthening, mobility work and technique-specific control strategies to reduce dance injuries and support a safe return.
Follow-Up
Progress is reviewed, and exercises are progressed in line with symptoms, strength gains and training demands.
Completion and Long-Term Care
Once the dancer is back to full function, we provide strategies to maintain resilience and reduce recurrence of common dance injuries throughout the year.
Why Choose Us?
The dance clinic at Highett Podiatry provides dancer-specific care, clear explanations and practical rehabilitation plans.
Kirstine Mann and Sophie Young work closely with dancers and their teachers to support recovery, improve movement efficiency and protect long-term foot health.
Book an appointment or call (03) 9555 3044.