Updates in Performing Arts Medicine: A Clinical Overview for Instrumental Musicians and Dancers

Performing artist-athletes have high levels of physical and mental demands with different rewards and movements when compared to sport athletes. This overview of current literature will explore the epidemiology of performance-related pain and injury in instrumentalists and dancers and highlights special considerations for artist care.

High injury prevalence rates persist among performing artist-athletes. Overuse is a common mechanism of injury; however, knowledge gaps exist in the assessment and management of load and fatigue in this population. Among instrumentalists, emerging evidence associates pain patterns with posture, interference on performance, and psychosocial factors. High-intensity interval cross-training and neuromuscular warm-up may best prepare dancers for rehearsal and performance demands, as evidence suggests dance class is inadequate for cardiorespiratory fitness.

There is uncertainty in the understanding of performing artist-athlete injury and pain. While more robust prospective research is needed for conclusive findings, the use of sports medicine and exercise physiology principles, in collaboration with teachers and artistic staff, may best inform warm-up/cool-down programs and load management strategies in the performing artist-athlete.