Sesamoiditis- looking for advice

[Guest]

Just looking for some advice. My sister had a problem with her foot starting in June and after a lot of back and forth was diagnosed with sesamoiditis(although a&e and minor injuries refused to see her so no x ray or diagnostic imaging was done). Luckily this was right at the end of her term(she’s just gone into third year at vocational school) and she took most of the summer off to rest at the advice of the podiatrist we saw. After another appointment they basically told her that this problem will never get any better whilst she is still dancing and her only options were to give up dancing all together or just stick with the pain?!!!

I was just wondering if anyone had encountered this problem before and had any advice or solutions that I could pass on to her.

thank you in advance 

[Worktolive]

Evening 

My daughter had a non union fracture of her sesimoid bone while at Ballet school. It was successfully treated and she graduated and is now a professional dancer. My advice is your sister needs to get an mri scan on her foot and see a consultant/ surgeon  that deals with feet and get a 2nd opinion. If she is at vocational school has she got medical insurance? An mri scan will confirm what is causing the pain. Hope this helps.

[Peanut68]

Always seek 2nd & 3rd opinion....it seems there is more than one podiatrists who chooses to be the voice of doom & arbitrarily state as fact that a dance career is out of the question! 

Non related to your DD condition but a painful heel took us to visit a podiatrist who frankly terrified & really upset my then 11 year old  with her doom laden comments. Yet her advice on taping foot a certain way & foot strengthening exercises worked wonders & DD continued more years at vocational school with no further problems! Wish she’d positiined it with a positive ‘let’s see if this helps’ rather than the fatalistic ‘give up now’ advice....is it a profession that attracts pessimists I wonder??? 

I echo getting specialist care & scans & check healthcare.... GP’s don’t always suggest this due to their budgets but if they are told it’s covered by insurance, a referral may be more forthcoming. 

Good luck x

Edited September 24, 2019 by Peanut68
Typo

[Picturesinthefirelight]

How old is your sister. 

 

As a dancer at vocatinal school she would be entitled to be referred to one of the NIDMS clinics but I'm not sure if there is still a mnimum age.

 

https://www.nidms.co.uk/nhs-dance-injury-clinics

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

How old is your sister. 

 

As a dancer at vocatinal school she would be entitled to be referred to one of the NIDMS clinics but I'm not sure if there is still a mnimum age.

 

https://www.nidms.co.uk/nhs-dance-injury-clinics

She’s 18 but as we are from Wales we are not eligible to be referred

[Guest]

Thank you everyone for the replies I will pass them on to her☺️

[Pups_mum]

I would advise that she needs to see an orthopaedic surgeon with a specific foot and ankle interest. This may require travel to a larger hospital if your sister is not in a big city, but her GP should be able to refer her. I have never had this particular problem but unfortunately i have lots of recent personal experience of tricky foot problems and can't stress enough how important it is to see a foot expert - even for ordinary people, never mind dancers. The biomechanics of the foot are very complex and not always well understood so it is worth hunting out someone with a real interest.

I hope she gets better soon. It must be very difficult for her.

[Moneypenny]

If your sister is at vocational school, does she not have private medical insurance? Foot injuries are indeed complex, my dd had one which took her out for most of her grad year, but it did resolve with lots and lots of the right rehab and lots of time and a gradual return to ballet. By the time she saw a foot & ankle specialist, she was well on the road to recovery, but a bone scan and spect ct scan were very useful and showed that the injury was resolving. Proper diagnosis, treatment and rehab are crucial for dancers.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Moneypenny

[Guest]

On 25/09/2019 at 20:38, Moneypenny said:

If your sister is at vocational school, does she not have private medical insurance? Foot injuries are indeed complex, my dd had one which took her out for most of her grad year, but it did resolve with lots and lots of the right rehab and lots of time and a gradual return to ballet. By the time she saw a foot & ankle specialist, she was well on the road to recovery, but a bone scan and spect ct scan were very useful and showed that the injury was resolving. Proper diagnosis, treatment and rehab are crucial for dancers.

No we don’t have private medical insurance so have to go the nhs route 

[Anon2]

On 24/09/2019 at 21:12, anaballerina said:

She’s 18 but as we are from Wales we are not eligible to be referred

Is your sister at vocational school in Wales? If at school in England she should be registered with GP local to school and therefore you can overcome this problem. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Jane said:

Is your sister at vocational school in Wales? If at school in England she should be registered with GP local to school and therefore you can overcome this problem. 

No she is in Scotland