HY 09/06: Healthy Performing | Lehigh Valley Hospital

Musicians, dancers and actors have unique physical and emotional challenges

Performing artists make it look so easy to pluck a song from a guitar or spin across a stage. Don’t be fooled. “Their skills take tremendous strength and endurance, just like athletics. It’s critical that they know how to care for themselves,” says internist Howard DeHoff, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, who was a professional jazz guitarist before becoming a doctor.

“Whether you perform as a career or hobby, without proper technique you can injure yourself,” he says. "Musicians can strain hand, arm, shoulder or neck muscles, causing chronic pain, tendonitis or damaged nerves. Dancers can strain their feet, backs, hips or knees."

“Fortunately, these injuries can be treated, often with the help of physical and occupational therapists and if necessary, neurologic and orthopedic specialists,” DeHoff says. “In some cases, performers may simply need equipment designed to prevent problems. I helped a cellist correct her back pain by finding a specially designed chair for performances.”

Performers also can develop emotional problems from the stress of a demanding profession. The classic is performance anxiety—sweating, shaky hands and rapid heartbeat. Severe symptoms can be controlled with beta blockers, a class of blood pressure medication. Depression—due to injury, too-high expectations or financial uncertainty—is a common problem. Entertainers may turn to illicit drugs and alcohol, and image-conscious dancers and actors are at risk for eating disorders.

“Prevention, of course, is the best way to avoid health problems,” DeHoff says. When your body feels stressed, take a break from practicing. Stretching, massage therapy, deep breathing and relaxation techniques help ease tight muscles and anxiety. If you play loud music, wear earplugs to protect your hearing. “Most importantly,” he says, “find an instructor who understands body mechanics, inspires you and isn’t going to advance you before you’re ready.”

Why Music Is Great for You at Any Age

Throughout life, music provides endless pleasure—but it also helps us grow, develop and stay healthy.

“Songs like lullabies are calming to newborns and connect them to their parents,” says therapist Gary Stone of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, who still remembers his father’s long-ago songs.

For toddlers, music becomes interactive. “When they discover they can blow into an instrument and make a song come out, it helps them develop a sense of control,” says parent educator Cathy Rutman, R.N. Organized programs like Music Together, Kindermusik and Gymboree, she adds, teach young children to recognize patterns and interact creatively.

Older children and adolescents who join school choirs and bands discover how their individual music helps create something bigger. “It gives them a sense of inclusion and accomplishment,” Stone says. “Teens often use music to express their emotions, cope with stress and define who they are.”

As an adult, music can help you relax, be creative or feed a desire to learn something new, says Stone, who’s learning to play keyboard. And it’s a proven way to stimulate your brain and boost your memory in your later years.

Want to Know More about dance and music opportunities in the Lehigh Valley? Click here.

Healthy Performing

Musicians, dancers and actors have unique physical and emotional challenges

Musicians large and small

Why Music Is Great for You at Any Age