Medical Information & Links

About Dr. Weiss

Dr. Weiss's NYU Langone Health Website
http://nyulangone.org/doctors/1467453001/david-s-weiss

Dance Doctor – (for children) Reprint of an article from Scholastic Magazine
“Dr. Weiss helps keep dancers in top physical form."  PDF Dr-Weiss-Scholastic-2012.pdf

On weekends and evenings – “Immediate Care Center” at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital
http://nyulangone.org/locations/samuels-orthopaedic-immediate-care-center
This walk-in urgent care center treats orthopedic problems only.  As a result, there is much less of a wait as compared to an emergency room.  The center is staffed by emergency medicine physicians from NYU Langone Health and has complete imaging facilities on-site.  It is open Sunday to Thursday 8:00 am to 9:00 pm; Friday & Saturday 8:00 am to 10:30 pm.

Work Related Injuries in Performers

Workers’ Compensation Board, New York State
www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/Workers/Workers.jsp

  • This website is the official source for workers in New York State with an on-the-job injury.  Information on benefits (“lost wages” – replacing your salary) when you are out of work (click here for direct link), treatment guidelines, hearings, and other issues. 
  • If you are unable to work for more that 7 days, you will receive lost wage benefits from your employer’s Workers’ Compensation insurance company, at 2/3 of your average weekly wage.  If you are out for 14 days or more, you will receive lost wage benefits from the first work day you were unable to work.
  • If you are having difficulty dealing with your employer’s insurance insurance company, you can get assistance by contacting the “Advocate for Injured Workers” (email: advinjwkr@wcb.ny.gov; phone 877-632-4996).

Actors’ Equity Supplemental Workers’ Compensation
http://equityleague.org/my-health-plan/supplemental-workers-compensation/

  • This webpage has information on the supplemental Workers’ Compensation benefits available to Actors’ Equity performers who are injured on the job and lose salary as a result. 
  • Members receive lost wage benefits, starting of the first day that you are unable to work, via this supplemental insurance policy.  You will receive up to 75% of the production contract minimum weekly salary at the time of injury.  This policy adds to (“supplements”) the benefits you receive from your employer’s Workers’ Compensation insurance company (but you never get paid more than your salary).  Agents and managers are not entitled to receive any fee.
  • You will need to submit all the necessary paperwork to John Lynes at Actors’ Equity, so look out for his email.
  • Due to way that salaries are calculated, no reimbursement is made if you miss one show on a two-show day.

Health Information

Calf (Gastrocsoleus) Strengthening for Dancers
https://australianballet.com.au/blog/how-to-get-strong-calves
Dancers often have much weaker gastrocsoleus muscles than they realize, and this weakness is the cause of many foot and ankle overuse injuries.  One reason is that dancers use their toe flexor muscles instead of their gastrocsoleus. The solution is to do parallel single-leg calf rises.  Here is the strenghtening protocol, developed by Dr. Sue Mayes, long time principal physiotherapist for the Australian Ballet.

Concussions

  • Concussions in performers are common.  Learn more, including signs and symptoms, management, and safe return to performance in this three page monograph from Dance USA.  PDF concussion-danceusa-10-26-15.pdf
  • One page information sheet summarizing the diagnosis and treatment of concussions in performers, from the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries.  PDF concussions-performers-info-sheet-2016-sept.pdf

Hip Lunge Stretching
https://reimagym.com/dear-circus-artistathletes-please-stop-doing-this-stretch/
Lunge hip stretching is very popular.  But did you know that it is not good for your hip joint?  Most dancers (and many health professionals) do not understand this, and there are very few articles online that explain the problems (other than this one aimed at circus artists).  If you like doing deep lunge stretches, read this article to understand why you should change how you stretch, in order to protect your hip.

How to Dance Forever: Surviving Against The Odds
https://nagrin.org/how-to-dance-forever/
Daniel Nagrin (1917– 2008) was an American modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, and author. He studied with Martha Graham, Anna Sokolow, Hanya Holm, Bill Matons, and Helen Tamiris.  He danced professional as a concert dancer into his 60’s, and also performed in several Broadway shows along the way.  As I wrote in Ballet Review in 1988, “his informal style artfully camouflages the seriousness of his advice which covers every detail of a dancers’s day and life” 

Hypermobility
https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/2017-eds-classification-non-experts/
Dancers are often loose-jointed (hypermobile), but so are many other persons.  The condition is inherited, and has now been categorized as "Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobile Type" or hEDS.  Research in recent years has revealed that hEDS is associated with many non-orthopedic conditions, causing gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, immunological, and other medical problems.  These 13 papers are written for lay people, and describe hEDS and its many manifestations.

Medications – How to Dispose of Unused Drugs
Many pharmacies have kiosks where you can safely dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Walgreens/Duane Reade kiosk locations
All pharmacy kiosk locations in New York State

Musicians – Returning to Play After an Injury
Information on how musicians should return to playing their instrument after an overuse injury, including a recommended playing schedule.  PDF returning-to-play-for-musicians.pdf

Pointe Work for the Young Dancer – When Can I Start Pointe Work?
Article written by Dr. Weiss for parents and dance students, as well as for dance educators and medical professionals.  The paper provides guidance regarding the age at which a student can safely begin pointe work.  PDF start-pointe.pdf

Supplements – Fact Sheets
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/
A comprehensive source of information on herbs and supplements from the National Institutes of Health.  For almost every supplement sold in heatlh food stores, you will find a summary of what the science says, along with complete references.

Tendon Overuse Injuries – Eccentric Exercises
Videos demonstrating the technique for performing eccentric strengthening exercises

Other Resources

Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund)

Dancer Health – Informational Papers from Dance USA
https://www.danceusa.org/informational-papers
These papers from the Task Force on Dancer Health are educational overviews on topics that are important for the professional dance community.  There are over 35 papers, covering a broad range of subjects. 

Career Transition For Dancers
https://entertainmentcommunity.org/services-and-programs/career-transition-dancers/
Career Transition For Dancers, a program of the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), enables dancers to define their career possibilities and develop the skills necessary to excel in a variety of disciplines.

New York State COBRA Assistance Subsidy Payment Program
https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/health_insurance/continuation_assistance_demonstration_program_for_entertainment_industry_employees
The New York State Legislature has enacted a law which provides a subsidy to New York State residents in the entertainment industry to assist in paying for COBRA coverage.  You need to submit an application to the New York State Insurance Department.  If you are approved, you will receive a subsidy to cover 50% of the cost of your COBRA premiums.

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants
https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/programs/grants/rauschenberg-emergency-grants
This program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists who are creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography. Only generative artists are eligible—artists creating their own, independent work, with recent and ongoing opportunities for the public to experience that work.

Harkness Center for Dance Injuries
http://www.med.nyu.edu/hjd/harkness/
Information about the clinical, educational, and research activities of this center, which Dr. Weiss helped found, and where he served as Associate Director from 2002 to 2023. 

Performing Arts Medicine Association
http://www.artsmed.org
Educational organization for the performing arts medicine community.

International Association for Dance Medicine & Science
http://www.iadms.org
Educational organization for the dance medicine community.

Animated Anatomy Tutorials

Videos available for cervical spine, lumbar spine, shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, ankle, and foot.  Click the “Playlist” icon in the upper right to choose your topic.