Fundamental Elements of Performing Arts Medicine: Understanding the Anatomy, Physiology and Biomechanics Inherent to Performance

Dear Colleagues,

Performing arts medicine involves the medical care of wind instrument players, string instrument players, ballet dancers, actors, and all other art performers. These individuals are usually exposed to intensive physical and psychological stresses. There are unique challenges and priorities in this medical field, since performers are involved in high levels of training at all ages since their childhood, when they initiated their activity in musical schools, conservatoires, music universities, orchestras, choirs, ballet companies, and theatres. There is interest in understanding the anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics inherent to performing arts, from amateur to professional standards, during rehearsals and major events.

This is a relatively new subject in medicine and includes a variety of healthcare providers that intend to understand performance in terms of  gesture, technique, and posture, with its direct clinical implications. Advanced medical knowledge, skills, practices, and the progress of scientific achievements with the application of biomedical devices will allow the biomechanical characterization and quantification of certain anatomic sites and kinetic chains of our body, enabling the development of performing arts medicine, as well as the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of lesions associated with this occupational activity.

This Special Issue intends to address the fundamental elements of performing arts medicine, exploring the background and development of musculoskeletal disorders or other pathologies such as neurological disturbances, anxiety, and depression. Highlighting preventive and protective performing arts science that contemplates the knowledge of physical risk factors such as gender, anatomical considerations, instrument played, playing conditions, repertoire is fundamental to improve performance and reduce risks related to performing arts as well as symptoms, the predominant of which is pain.

Performing arts is an increasingly competitive field with social, economic, and health implications, which enter into the scope of this Special Issue. In particular, topics of interest include performance-related injuries and instrumental musicians’ injuries such as hypermobility, neck, shoulders and lower back pain, tendinitis, myofascial pain, temporomandibular disorders, dental/orofacial problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, focal dystonias, dysfunction of the wrist and finger extensors, osteoarthritis, dermatological disorders, voice disorders, hearing loss, etc.

Dr. Miguel Pais Clemente
Assoc. Pro Joaquim Gabriel Mendes
Prof. Dr. José Manuel Amarante
Prof. Dr. Afonso Pinhão Ferreira
Dr. Catarina Aguiar Branco
Prof. Dr. Henk Van Twillert
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Performing arts medicine
• Musculoskeletal pain
• Overuse injuries
• Peripheral neuropathies
• Concerns of dancers and musicians
• Physiology of performing arts
• Performance anxiety Instrumental teaching and technique
• Performing arts biomechanics
• Wind instrumentalists’ embouchure
• Dental/orofacial problems in performing arts
• Biomedical applications in performing arts medicine
• Infrared thermography as a complementary method of diagnosis in performing arts
• Surgery, therapeutics, and treatment in performance and instrumental musicians’ injuries