Just like pro athletes, top-flight musicians may face career consequences when sidelined by injuries. That's where GVSU Occupational Therapy Professor Cathy Pinson hopes to help.
In a few weeks, she'll embark on a series of consultations with some of Europe's finest performers, working with musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra, the Celtic Harp Association, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
I will be evaluating orchestra members for injuries and problems, says Pinson. Then I will give them ideas for treatment.
Pinson's interest in musicians began during her work as a professor at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. Her office was located next to the conservatory, and musicians began coming to her for injury consultations.
Musicians and dancers have what is called cumulative, or repetitive injuries, explains Pinson. From an occupational therapy perspective, the fact that they can no longer play or dance is an issue.
Over the last four years, Pinson has researched what happens to musicians and dancers as they perform. What she found was that playing and dancing were not the only sources of injuries.
Many other factors contribute to the injuries that musicians and dancers experience, explains Pinson. They often have other occupations that involve working on computers and talking on the phone. Gardening and housework can also cause stress on hands and legs.
Many musicians do not warm up before they play and are often not physically fit, says Pinson. Dancers deal with nutritional issues because they do not consume enough fluids or food, which causes them not to feed their bodies properly.
Some treatments for the injuries experienced by musicians and dancers include changing their daily routines, and teaching them how to stretch, warm up and pace themselves.
Injury prevention is a top objective Pinson works to teach musicians and dancers.
Sometimes I will modify the instrument or dancing shoes depending on the problem they are experiencing, explains Pinson. I am a problem-solver who gets the clients back to doing what they need to do.
Pinson leaves for her European consultation in July.
