Dancing with Raynaud's Disease

Raynaud's disease, also called Raynaud's phenomenon or Raynaud's syndrome, is a condition that causes extremely reduced blood flow to the fingers and toes in cold or stressful environments.  People with this condition often experience their phalanges turning white, blue, or mottled red and feel extreme cold, numbness, pain, and tingling in the affected areas.

If you are a dancer with this condition, you probably know that it can be difficult and dangerous to dance with painfully numb toes.  With winter weather setting in and Nutcracker and winter performances coming up, it's time to tell you some tips that may help you dance with less discomfort.  I have Raynaud's disease, and my toes are more severely affected than my fingers.  I have developed some techniques to help deal with the condition.

**Note: Raynaud's disease is a relatively common stand-alone condition that usually affects just the phalanges.  Occasionally it can be a symptom of other disorders such as lupus.  If you are noticing the symptoms for the first time, see your doctor to make sure it is just Raynaud's and not something more serious.

Here are my tips for toes:

1.  Wear wool socks and Ugg boots (or similar fleece or sheepskin lined winter boots) when you are on your way to dance.  These will help keep your feet warm, so your toes are less likely to get cold and numb.

2.  Put on your dance shoes as soon as you get to the studio.  Sit down while you change your shoes, and don't let your bare feet touch cold tile or wood floors.  Put warm-up booties or socks on over your shoes if you can to keep your toes toasty.

3.  If you usually dance barefoot for modern or jazz, ask your teacher if you can wear socks or jazz shoes.  Wearing a sock or shoe can help protect your toes from getting cold from touching the floor.  If you do ballroom dance, you may want to dance in practice sneakers instead of open-toed ballroom heels.

4.  If you are already experiencing numbness when you get to the studio, try to get the blood flowing before you put on your dance shoes and start dancing.  Massage your toes with your hands.  Apply a mentholated pain relief cream or balm like IcyHot or Tiger Balm; these products encourage blood flow to the affected area.  You may also try carrying a heating pad or handwarmer pack in your dance bag; heat up either item according to its directions, then place it under your toes until they begin to feel normal.  Be careful not to get your toes too warm--these items can sometimes burn.

5.  Always use your usual padding in your shoes.  If you are dancing en pointe, use your regular toes pads, spacers, etc.  It can be tempting to go without padding if your toes are numb or add extra if your toes are feeling the post-numbness pain.  Either taking away or adding more padding can cause blisters and other injuries, so don't do it.  Just wear the pads that you normally do.

6.  Once your feet have warmed up, don't let them get cold again.  This is especially important during rehearsals and performances if you have a lot of waiting around between your dances on stage.  Move around, do exercises, wear warm-ups, or stand on a heating pad if you have to.

Do you have Raynaud's disease?  Do you have any tricks for keeping your toes happy?  Share in the comments!