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Print7 Healthcast: Ballet injuries
Especially when going on point, where special shoes are used to dance on the tip of the toes.
Dr. Brian Grottkau sees it often in his line of work.
Dr. Brian Grottkeau, Pediatric Orthopedics at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children
"Going on point is one of the most complex maneuvers that can be done in ballet and doing it incorrectly can put the structures of the foot and ankle at risk"
Dr. Brian Grottkau, chief of pediatric orthopedics at Mass General Hospital for Children says they have seen more ballet related injuries.
Dr. Brian Grottkeau, Pediatric Orthopedics at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children
"The children are making their own shoes out of cardboard and old ballet shoes and they are not properly protecting the foot"
Its something some local ballerinas know can be a problem.
Theresa Chung, ballerina
"You could suffer twisted ankles , your feet could kill and you could get shin splints if you don't go through the right steps."
Lauren Baltrus, ballerina
"A lot of bad things could happen to your ankles or knees and you could get an injury... then you couldn't dance for along time, maybe never again"
Lauren Baltrus of Wellesley trained eight long years before she could go on point and mom Susan says they need to be prepared-.
Susan Baltrus, Lauren's mom
"At these ages, 9, 10, 11 they are growing at such a rapid rate, that they are susceptible to injuries"
Former principal ballerina and associate director of the Boston Ballet School sees it all too often-
Margaret Trace, Boston Ballet School
"I have seen in my years in this profession too many students really damage their feet and then lose some of that love because they aren't quite physically ready for it".
The best way to stay safe is to learn the techniques from qualified professionals.
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