Nerve Disorders in Dancers

Dancers are required to perform at the extreme of physiologic and functional limits. Under such conditions, peripheral nerves are prone to compression. Entrapment neuropathies in dance can be related to the sciatic nerve or from a radiculopathy related to posture or a hyperlordosis. The most reproducible and reliable method of diagnosis is a careful history and clinical examination. This article reviews several nerve disorders encountered in dancers, including interdigital neuromas, tarsal tunnel syndrome, medial hallucal nerve compression, anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome, superficial and deep peroneal nerve entrapment, and sural nerve entrapment.