The Performing Artist Athletes Program at Boston Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive care for athletes of all ages and at all levels — from the Boston Ballet and U.S. Figure Skating to local programs.
Each year, we treat hundreds of performing artists, from children to teens, to adults. Our patients are:
- Dancers
- Gymnasts
- Figure skaters
- Cheerleaders
- Musicians
- Circus artists
- Musical theater performers
As part of the Sports Medicine Division at Boston Children’s Hospital, we have the expertise and resources to support these athletes’ physical, psychological, and social-emotional well-being.
Jumping higher, spinning faster: Max’s figure skating story
Max first came to Boston Children’s with an ankle injury in 2017. Since then, his team here has helped him skate at the highest level.
Comprehensive care for children, teens, and adults in the performing arts
Performing artists dedicate themselves to hours of practice every week. And while they are just as prone to injury as any high-performance athlete, their injuries are often unique to their disciplines. With this understanding, we tailor care to the specific physical and mental demands of the performing arts.
If your child is a performing artist athlete, they’ll be treated by a team with the skills and training necessary to help them succeed. With a sports medicine doctor overseeing their care, your child may see:
- A physical therapist with performing arts expertise to promote recovery through evidence-based exercises designed to restore an athlete’s strength, mobility, and function
- A behavioral health specialist to help develop positive approaches to the mental demands of their discipline
- A dietitian to help understand how proper nutrition can help maintain the energy needed to perform well and avoid injury
- An injury prevention specialist to help develop strength, flexibility, and mobility, and reduce the risk of future injury
From diagnosis through treatment, rehab, and returning to the stage (or ice or beam) — our team of specialists work together to see performing artist athletes through each phase of their care.
Fancy footwork: Two figure skating experts on injury prevention
Figure skating is a stunning combination of athleticism and grace. But as the sport becomes more demanding, the number of injuries has risen.
Why choose the Performing Artist Athlete Program
We are a team of sports medicine specialists, many of whom have backgrounds as performing artists ourselves. Some of us are team physicians for Boston Ballet and U.S. Figure Skating. We know what it takes to remain active in demanding athletic pursuits and how to help performing artists reach their goals.
Our patients also have access to the extensive resources of the Sports Medicine Division. This includes:
- Sports Ultrasound Clinic, which helps to diagnose, treat, and improve our understanding of challenging diagnoses through the use of dynamic imaging
- Child and Young Adult Hip Preservation Program, which specializes in treating hip disorders common in performing artists athletes, including snapping hip syndrome, acetabular dysplasia, hip impingement, and microinstability
- Hand and Orthopedic Upper Extremity Program, which repairs wrist, elbow, and shoulder issues common among musicians, gymnasts, cheerleaders, and circus artists
- Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program, which specializes in issues seen most commonly in female athletes, including bone health issues and relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs)
- The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, which offers rehabilitation and strength training programs to help athletes return to their sport stronger and less prone to injury. Services include Dance Screening Assessments and Healthy Gymnast Screenings. In addition, The Micheli Center at Norwood shares a location with The Skating Club of Boston and is a hub of training for figure skaters and other athletes.
Preventing performing arts injuries
Prevention is often the best way to avoid unplanned time off from practice and performance. Our experts have put together a series of injury-prevention guides to help performing artist athletes remain active.
Research and innovation in the performing arts
In addition to promoting the health and well-being of our patients, we also conduct ongoing research that helps establish standards and guidelines for performing arts medicine around the country.
New insights into dancers and hip pain
The source of hip pain is different in dancers than other athletes, but how? Dynamic hip ultrasound sheds light on this question.
