02/02/2026
Performing artists don’t like seeking medical care because they often feel unheard
Doctors may downplay their athleticism (“it’s just dancing”), think they’re catastrophizing (“it can’t be that bad of an injury”) or just not understand their experience and the pressure that comes along with it
Physicians may never have been athletes, lack understanding of training schedules, don’t grasp the pressure from directors/choreographers/employers/peers/agents to perform well under all circumstance… the list goes on.
What’s important for performers (and all athletes) to understand is that communication with doctors needs to be direct & functional limitations need to be the center of the discussion
“Hey doc, I have knee pain and I cannot kneel, jump or do partner work. It affects my ability to perform”
Don’t like medication and prefer a more conservative treatment? Let them know. “Medication interferes with my ability to perceive when I have pain. I’d rather work on addressing the underlying cause than masking it”
Recording the conversation can also help- perhaps you didn’t understand every medical term they used and you want to learn more about it- listen to it later
