02/21/2026
Another thing that’s common in dance… but not normal: back of the ankle pain.
Often labeled as “tight calves” or Achilles pain, but many times the real issue is posterior ankle impingement.
This can happen when dancers repeatedly push into end-range pointe or relevé without enough strength to control it. Over time:
• soft tissues get compressed
• the FHL (big toe tendon) becomes irritated and stops gliding well
• weak foot muscles reduce force absorption and overload the ankle
So stretching the calves more usually isn’t the solution.
What actually helps:
• progressive deep calf and intrinsic foot strengthening
• control at end range
• improved foot mechanics and jump load management
Stronger control = less compression.