Sandy Hardwick, PT, DPT, Cert MDT, ASTYM, COMT with a violin player in our Musician Rehabilitation Program.

Specialized Physical Therapy for Nashville’s Musicians

Playing a musical instrument is not just an art; it is a physical activity that requires precision, endurance, and repetitive movements. STAR Physical Therapy recognizes the strain musicians endure and the unique challenges in maintaining their physical well-being and performance abilities, so we developed a Musician Rehabilitation Program at our East Nashville Clinic.

Our specialized Musician Rehabilitation Program helps Nashville’s musicians overcome injuries and performance-related issues. At STAR Physical Therapy, we aim to provide individualized education and exercises to prevent injury, help musicians recover from injury or surgery, and return to making music as soon as possible!

Meet Our Expert Musician Rehabilitation Team

Our East Nashville Clinic has a team of highly experienced physical therapists who are dedicated and specialize in serving and treating Nashville’s musicians. Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) Noelle Austin and Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT) Sandy Hardwick lead our Musician Rehabilitation Program. Noelle and Sandy understand the unique demands placed on a musician’s body. With their expertise, we create personalized treatment plans to address each musician’s specific needs.

The Conditions We Treat

Musicians commonly suffer from a range of ailments related to their craft. Our specialized therapists are adept at treating and commonly treat the following conditions related to instrument use:

  • Neck/back strain
  • Rotator cuff tendonitis/bursitis
  • Numbness/tingling in arms/hands
  • Lateral/medial epicondylitis
  • Trigger finger and DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis
  • Cubital/carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Arthritis in the spine/hands

Components of the Musician Rehabilitation Program

Our Musician Rehabilitation Program is comprehensive and designed to address acute injuries and long-term performance issues through a wide range of specialized interventions, including:

 

We begin with a thorough examination to pinpoint the root cause of any symptoms. A comprehensive assessment allows us to develop a customized treatment plan tailored to each musician’s needs.

Manual therapy involves hands-on techniques designed to reduce pain and improve joint mobility. Interventions may include instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), massage techniques, and joint mobilization.

Our certified hand therapist specializes in evaluating and treating hand and upper extremity injuries, non-operative and post-surgery, including conditions experienced by musicians. Specialized treatment may include custom orthoses (splints) and kinesiology taping.

Our Musician Rehabilitation team has experience working with musicians who play various instruments, including stringed instruments, woodwinds, and percussion. We understand the unique physical demands of each instrument, will complete a playing assessment, and will provide tailored rehabilitation to help you overcome performance-related injuries.

Preventing injury and maintaining high performance requires musicians to maintain proper playing posture and body mechanics. Our expert Musicians Rehabilitation team educates you on optimal playing posture, body mechanics, and instrument-specific ergonomics to reduce strain on your body so you can play with greater ease, efficiency, and confidence.

We offer a wide range of strengthening and functional exercises to help you build strength, endurance, and flexibility to unlock your full instrumental potential. Our comprehensive approach goes beyond basic exercises, focusing on building the muscle groups and movement patterns critical to your specific instrument and playing style to help you avoid injuries and improve your overall performance.

We understand that musicians often experience chronic pain due to the repetitive nature of playing an instrument. Our Musician Rehabilitation team can provide pain management techniques, including heat and cold therapy, Dry Needling, electrical stimulation, and other non-invasive treatments.

How to Get Started

At STAR Physical Therapy, we are committed to helping musicians prevent and overcome injuries to improve their physical health so they can continue to play their instrument at the highest level. If you’re a musician experiencing pain or performance-related issues, don’t let it stop you! Contact STAR Physical Therapy today to schedule an appointment, or complete the Musician Rehabilitation Questionnaire Form below to take the first step toward a healthier, more fulfilling music career! Let us help you get back to making music pain-free and with confidence!

Noelle Austin, MS, PT, CHT with a violin player in our Musician Rehabilitation Program.

Musician Rehabilitation Questionnaire

"*" indicates required fields

Drop files here or
Max. file size: 50 MB.
    Consent*

    Musician Rehabilitation is available at the following locations:

    Nashville (East Nashville)