The Grecian foot can make normal functions difficult, and this goes for dancers and for non-dancers. Remember, the Grecian foot is the shape where the first toe is much shorter than the second toe. The picture below doesn't truly illustrate a Grecian foot because the first and second metatarsals heads are very close. However, we will use it to illustrate where the devil those metatarsals are located.
Remember, the metatarsals are the long bones in the foot. This image is from Thieme's Atlas of Anatomy. It kicks Netter's butt. Hard. Get this book and keep it at your breakfast table for tons of fun and for grossing out your kids over pancakes.
A shorter first metatarsal can cause the second toe to bear more weight than it's been designed for. Imagine a rock embedded in your bicycle tire but still sticking out a little bit. Each time that rock comes around, you will feel a little "bump" in the road. The rock is going to bear more weight than the rest of the tire, because it is sticking out and the weight of the bicycle (and you with all those holiday cookies you've been snarfing) cannot be distributed evenly. Same thing with your feet. Every time you roll through your foot, as in taking a step, if your second metatarsal is longer than your first, its head will be the rock in the bicycle tire. Now the first metatarsal was designed for this: its head is larger and thicker, it has two tiny little bones (sesamoids) beneath it that help to maximize leverage and protect the joint margin. Not so for the second metatarsal. Depressing, huh.
For dancers with the Grecian shape, balancing on the balls of the feet (demi-pointe) is more difficult because the base of support is very narrow. Instead of having a bunch of metatarsal heads for a wide base to balance on, like this:
...the Grecian Foot dancer balances with too much weight on the second metatarsal head OR they shift their ankle toward the little toe (in a sickle) to distribute their weight over metatarsal heads 2-5.
However, all of this does NOT mean that people with a Grecian foot shape limp around like Quasimodo haplessly. No, it just means that they will likely have tight feet, and are likely to supinate or pronate (stand on the outer or inner edges of their feet, respectively). This client will enjoy footwork on the Reformer with the arch of the foot or the heels on the bar, and the feet in straps series, because the forefoot is open-chain. This way the 2nd metatarsal head's length has no effect on the rest of the foot.
An ideal solution for walking would be a shoe with a divot cut out of the footbed. This would be similar to riding that bicycle with the rock in the tire on a road with a tiny divot every so often for the rock to land in. If it was perfectly aligned, you would no longer feel that bump in the road.
A bit impractical, I know, but a good image nonetheless.
Unfortunately, you can't grow your first metatarsal longer, and I sure as hell hope you won't go ask a surgeon to shorten the length of your second metatarsal. (The doc would refuse anyway. I hope.) The best advice I can give you is to stretch out your feet. If the second metatarsal head is mobile enough that it can move upward, toward the top surface of the foot with each step, that will help to minimize the forces and distribute the weight. So... stretch your feet! I'll see if I can post some stretches later.
Please do post stretches for this that you said you might when you have a chance. My friend is a ballet dancer who is interested in improving her foot base, and appreciated the specificity of your article.
Thank you!
Karen
Posted by: Karen | 11/05/2011 at 02:22 PM
You are absolutely right, I haven't posted those stretches! OK, let's see if I can find the time to do that this week. I'm currently working on my thesis for my MS in Kinesiology and am pretty focused on that but let's see what I can do. I'm glad to know my little musings are reaching folks who are interested! Thanks,
Donna
Posted by: Donna | 11/06/2011 at 06:34 AM