Lindsay Detwiler, a student at Moravian University, has been playing piano since she was five years old. A music education and piano performance major, she was preparing for a recital last fall when she suddenly experienced shooting pains in her back. Soon, the pain was a regular occurrence.
“After 15 minutes sitting on the piano bench, my back would start acting up,” Lindsay says. She was able to perform well in her recital, but was still experiencing flare-ups while sitting in class. Lindsay wanted a long-lasting solution to the pain.
To get treatment immediately, Lindsay used Direct Access to schedule a physical therapy evaluation at our Moravian location. Under Direct Access, anyone can see a physical therapist for 30 days without a referral from a doctor.
Lindsay connected with Performing Arts Therapist and Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Kelly Angelucci, PT, DPT. At Lindsay’s first evaluation, Kelly analyzed her back pain in the context of her background as a piano player.
“The biggest thing for Lindsay was those long duration performances,” Kelly explains. Although the pain was manifesting in Lindsay’s back, Kelly looked at the larger picture and identified contributing factors, like tight muscles and imbalances, in Lindsay’s legs and core.
“With performing artists, it’s a specialized group,” Kelly says. She learned about Lindsay’s goals and her performance schedule, developing a routine tailored to her needs. “We’re looking at an end goal of no pain, but we also need to keep in mind your demands as a performer and how we can get you back to your craft fully.”
For Lindsay, that started with mobility. Kelly first had Lindsay perform basic movements, like lower trunk rotations, and then progressed to core stabilization, which involved exercises to coordinate the limbs while contracting the core. From there, Kelly worked to strengthen Lindsay’s legs.
“Squats, lifting mechanics, weight-bearing exercises…” Kelly says. “We looked at all the pieces, not just the lower back.”
Lindsay soon started feeling stronger. “The first few times, I was sore afterwards,” she says. “But the more I was doing physical therapy here and exercises at home, the more it was getting better.”
Lindsay’s therapy sessions were supplemented by a set of individualized at-home exercises that Kelly provided at her first session. Kelly added onto these throughout Lindsay’s treatment, ensuring that she was performing them correctly.
Those at-home exercises have given Lindsay the tools to keep her back pain away, even at the piano bench.
“Now I have ways to treat it,” she says. “I can stop practicing for a moment and use some of those exercises, and it helps.”
“I enjoy piano so much, and when I could barely sit there for more than 15 minutes, it was really frustrating,” Lindsay continues. “It’s so nice being able to do it without pain.”
Thanks to her work with Kelly, Lindsay is able to continue her passion for piano. Learn more about our Performing Arts Medicine program by clicking here.
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Under Direct Access, you can get the care you need, now. You can see a licensed physical therapist for 30 days without a referral from a doctor. Click here to find a location near you.