Toe Pains in My Daughter

Here's the thing. Dance lessons teach the child "how" to use their muscles and how to place their feet, etc....if she's getting hurt while dancing at home chances are she is damaging her bones and tendons.

Google what dance does for kids bodies and you'll see what she's doing to her body. I suggest you either discourage her from doing stuff this strenuous or that you sign her up for dance lessons and let something else go. If she really loves dance this much she needs it. Dance can take her to college and on to a career as a dance teacher, a performer, an actress, etc....it is a very lucrative career and if she loves dance putting her off will only make it harder on her when she finally gets to take classes.

She might have just stubbed it but you can't be sure. See if she can wiggle it -- really wiggle -- without pain,, on her own. If she can do that, without pain, then take it very gently in your fingers and slowly move it around. If that causes any pain, stop right away and get to the doctor. If not, as someone else rightly posted, tape it to the toe next to it with medical tape (the stuff you get to hold on gauze bandages, it's at any drugstore) and see how it goes. (The second toe acts as a splint for the one that's hurting.) Be sure she wears some lightweight shoes to protect her feet tomorrow and doesn't dance for a day, maybe. If any bruising or swelling turns up, get to the doctor.

If she really loves to dance, see if you can make time for a dance class for her. She sounds like she has the bug and would enjoy it. Be sure it's an age-appropriate class that emphasizes fun movement.

You can get her ballet slippers to dance in at home, but please, please get real ones with a leather sole so they won't slip and slide on the floors --the cutesy little fabric ones are dangerously slick.

She probably got a cramp in it.

Don't know but I'd tape it to the next one and give some Advil and watch it.
But I'm not a doc.

It sounds like you should try to "make time" for a dance class for her...especially since she is making time to try to dance by herself, and potentially hurting herself in the process! :-/

ETA: I don't mean any insult to you with my reply, I know schedules get crazy. I just mean that she sure does seem determined to dance! :-)

I would take her to a Podiatrist and have them do an x-ray.. When my son was about 7, he had a hairline fracture in his left heel, and had we not gone to the docs, we wouldn't have even considered as such.. Also, in my right foot, apart from another issues now, early on, when doing lots of aerobics, I ended up fracturing my sesamoid bone and didn't even know it.. again, it took an x-ray. with so many little bones in the feet, you can't be certain. could be your daughter just stubbed her toe... but if you can, maybe have it checked out.

good luck