If you've got it bad, they've got it worse

CORINA GILL

WATCHING dancer Corina Gill effortlessly rise on point, standing on one's toes looks easy. Then she begins talking about the toll her feet take in satin shoes that provide precious little barrier between floor and foot.

The dancer with the Los Angeles Ballet has sustained plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the thick tissue that spans the bottom of the foot), Achilles tendinitis (inflammation of the Achilles tendon), bruises on her big toes, blisters, lost nails and bunions. But like all dancers, the 25-year-old from Garden Grove has learned to tolerate the pain, all the while taking care of her feet as best she can. She employs a variety of remedies, including something called an Ouch Pouch pad to cushion her forefoot and flexible polymer spacers that fit between the toes to help protect against bunions.

"If I feel something starting to hurt, even just a little bit," she says, "I'll take it easy and try not to do whatever makes it hurt -- unless I'm performing and I can't do anything about it. The most important thing is not getting injured."

Gill religiously uses elastic exercise bands on her feet, wrapping the band around the bottom of a foot, then flexing and pointing it. "It strengthens and warms it up," she explains, "and I think it increases the mobility a little bit."

Her feet, she says, "are like my musical instrument. You have to treat them with respect and care for them. You've only got one pair."

PETER VAGENAS

WHEN soccer player Peter Vagenas took up yoga four years ago, he figured it would help his back but never expected it would also help his feet and ankles.

Ankle strains and sprains have plagued Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Vagenas since college, but since taking up yoga he's feeling more resilient. "You find it has to do with core stability," he says. "A lot of times you're on one leg and pretty much stabilizing yourself with that one ankle." Being balanced helps while running and kicking, but also when being tackled by an opposing player, which happens frequently and can result in a sprained ankle.

Other than ankle injuries, the 28-year-old Angeleno has also been through blisters and lost nails, yet still has to play when his big toe is nail-less. He diligently ices his feet and ankles after practices and games to reduce any swelling and alleviate soreness. When the playing season ends, he takes time off and rests his feet as much as he can: "That's just as important sometimes as working out," he says.