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Clarkson physical therapy students holding workshops today on musicians' injuries with Crane School students in Potsdam

Posted 4/16/14

POTSDAM -- A team of Clarkson University physical therapy doctoral students is collaborating with SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music faculty and students on workshops today on injury prevention …

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Clarkson physical therapy students holding workshops today on musicians' injuries with Crane School students in Potsdam

Posted

POTSDAM -- A team of Clarkson University physical therapy doctoral students is collaborating with SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music faculty and students on workshops today on injury prevention for musicians.

They will run three sessions concurrently today from 3 to 3:45 p.m. in SUNY Potsdam Crane's Bishop C318, C323 and another room nearby. They will also run four sessions from 7 to 9 p.m. this evening in the same places.

Prof. Vicki LaFay will be supervising the afternoon session. Prof. Leslie Russek there this evening.

Musicians are like athletes in the extreme demands placed on their bodies during hours of daily training and the stress of performances. Some musicians have injuries from repetitive strain due to fingering or bowing their instruments. Other musicians have postural trouble from leaning over their instruments or sitting for hours at a time. Others have jaw problems from blowing into an instrument or using the chin to hold an instrument. Muscle spasms are not uncommon. Other common complaints include tendinitis in wrists, fingers or shoulders; nerve problems such as carpal tunnel or cubital tunnel (affecting the elbow) maladies; neck and low back pain; jaw joint pain.

The physical therapy students have studied performing arts medicine during their orthopedic training, learning about conditions affecting musicians. Crane faculty member Shelly Tramposh, who teaches string instruments, and Carol Lowe, who teaches wind instruments, volunteered to collaborate with the Clarkson students to create the injury prevention workshops.

Leslie Russek, the Clarkson faculty member supervising this project, says, “This is a great opportunity for the two colleges to work together and get students working with students. Performing arts medicine is a growing specialty within healthcare, so the PT students learn a valuable skill and hopefully the Crane students will have fewer injuries.”

Both Crane and Clarkson would like to see this become an annual activity.