Performing Arts Health Program

Because an injury or deficit in one area can affect other parts of your body, we take a holistic approach to caring for performing artists. From strengthening weak muscles to rehabbing repetitive-use injuries and addressing nerve pain, we stay up to date on the most advanced techniques and treatments. We have treated dancers, musicians, vocalists, actors, gymnasts, figure skaters, aerialists, martial artists, and others.

We listen to your concerns, consider your needs, and perform a comprehensive physical exam. Then we create an individualized treatment plan that includes long-term injury prevention.

Dance Consultation Co-Clinic
During a dancer’s first visit, a physiatrist and physical therapist will see you together in the clinic. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire before your first appointment or at the beginning of your visit. This helps us understand how often you perform and at what level (amateur, collegiate, or professional), your symptoms, your health history, and more. 

Your provider may recommend one or more tests to understand your condition.

Imaging
X-ray, CT, and MRI scans help your doctor detect an injury or see how well a treatment is working.

Blood Tests
These can measure levels of important nutrients like vitamin D and B12, which can be low in dancers and other performing artists.

Medication
Muscle relaxants, nerve pain medications, anti-inflammatories, and other drugs can help reduce pain and inflammation.

Bracing
Bracing helps stabilize an injured area of your body to help prevent re-injury and promote faster healing.

Medical Acupuncture
The strategic placement of fine needles in your skin may help relieve pain.

Trigger Point Dry Needling
This aims to break up tight bands of tissue using an acupuncture needle.

Pain Injections
Medication can be injected near nerves or in joints that are a source of pain. Steroid, Botox, trigger point, and joint injections may be prescribed as needed.

Robust Referral Network
If you need more advanced care, we can refer you to one or more of these Duke experts:

• Integrative medicine providers address physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental factors that influence your health.
• Nutritionists and dieticians help improve your diet, treat eating disorders, and diagnose relative energy deficiency -- when your body is using more energy than you consume.
• Orthopaedic specialists treat problems related to your bones and joints.
• Psychologists and psychiatrists provide counseling services, treat disordered eating, address performance anxiety, and help you manage pain.
• Sleep medicine specialists ensure your body is getting the rest it needs.
• Sports medicine specialists treat sports-related injuries and medical conditions like concussion, amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), and overtraining.

Compassionate Care That’s Hard to Find
Duke’s Performing Arts Health Program is one of a few in the Triangle offering hands-on care specifically for performing artists. We’re passionate about supporting dancers, musicians, and others who regularly push their bodies to the brink. We take the time to meet you where you are, and we’ll never offer surgery as your only treatment option. 

Established Community Relationships
Our providers have built relationships with the Durham Performing Arts Center, American Dance Festival, and local dance studios to offer onsite clinics and injury-prevention workshops.