Dr. Peterson lectures on performance related injuries in the arts
Dr. Judith Peterson is a clinical professor at USD who also practices medicine at the Yankton Medical Clinic. Peterson gave a lecture over performance related injuries for the performing arts on Feb. 3.
The lecture Peterson gave took place over Zoom and was generally accessible to students in the recital lab within the College of Fine Arts. Peterson went over studying performance related injuries and some common injuries that can happen to those in performing arts. Whether it’s instrumentalists, musicians, dancers or vocalists, any performer can get an injury that can put strain on their body.
“(Studying performance related injuries) is all about helping people be able to perform the way they want to be performing,” Peterson said.
Performers can get injuries such as overuse injuries, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, nodules or even simpler things such as swelling which Peterson mentioned in her lecture.
“People who are doing instrumental music, they’re using muscles and tendons over and over and over again so tissue can get burdened beyond its ability to repair itself,” Peterson said.
Something else that can happen to those in performing arts is what’s called dystonia. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Dystonia is a movement disorder in which your muscles contract involuntarily, causing repetitive or twisting movements.”
“It’s something that happens. It’s almost like a brain communication error that’s not fully understood yet,” Peterson said.
Peterson has been interested in performing arts medicine since her time with the Philadelphia Ballet. She was originally in practice in Philadelphia and would tend to the injuries of the dancers, but then noticed the issues the pianist or orchestra faced as well. Peterson felt that performing arts medicine was a more unique field of study where people didn’t know who to turn to with such broad injuries in a niche field.
“Performing arts medicine is a smaller field where people tend to have a specific interest in it. I started with dance medicine, and it evolved to where I was working with preforming arts generally,” Peterson said.
In Peterson’s opinion, anyone can have a problem or injury at any time. No matter where someone is at with their choice in performing arts, injuries can happen.
“Many things can affect the performance and it’s kind of allowing people to take a step back and recognize what is really going on with performances,” Peterson said.
Aside from working with the Philadelphia ballet, Peterson is on the editorial board for the Journal of Dance, Medicine and Science. Peterson has also submitted a poster presentation talk on carpal tunnel syndrome in pianists to the Performing Arts Medicine Association.
