Singers, Dancers, Actors/Actresses, and our musicians, conductors, stage team... It’s all about staying HEALTHY, so that when the stage calls, your body answers.
We will provide useful information about tips to keep vocal cords healthy, diaphragm/breathing tips, general body ache Q and A, stretching, pre- and post-show warm up and cool down, and make sure that wherever you are in the nation, we can get you (and keep you) healthy!

We'll cover:
Dancers...flexibility, strength, counter motions to repetitive moves, foot health, alignment and so much more
Singers...relaxation techniques, nutrition advice for inflammation, sickness, etc... and taking care of positioning your ribs, neck, and body for the best sound
Actors...repetitive motion, even if it is not dance, still takes a toll on your body. Understand that you are respected, and deserve to be treated and taken care of, even if it a straight stage show, and not a musical.

Rehearsals for Mary Poppins National Tour
Musicians...your body is a machine! Your music can only happen when your arms, wrists, fingers, mouth, TMJ, shoulders and more are healthy. And, sitting, standing, conducting, and more... we need to keep posture in mind.
There is so much info to prove to producers, company, stage management, and more, about how prevention is the key to a happy, healthy cast, and one that has longevity. Not only for a productive cast, but also to not have medical work comp claims pile up! If they knew how much it took to train new instead of keep the current, life would be great!
Talent will take you to the audition, perseverance will take you to the stage. But... only a healthy body will keep you there. Let us help!

Peace...
Gina

On this page, you will find quick posts on injury rehabilitation, prevention, and quick health tips for the Theater performer. Whether musical, straight stage, dance, backstage, crew and more, here is information that can help! Most of these are also posted on Facebook Group page of TripThreatMed. Hope your enjoy the wisdom!
Stay Healthy-
Gina

2012 February

Tip of the Day- SHOES!

Through all of the shows that I have had the pleasure of working on, there is one consistent in pain, complaints, and issues... shoes!!!

Through artistic direction, costume design, budget and more, I realize that there are restrictions on the quality of show and individualization that can take place. But, I also have run into shows that spend an enormous amount of money on the so-called “Shoe” experts for dance, drama, and theater, and they are not fit properly! Here are some tips...

When being measured for boots, character shoes, etc (whether you are dancing in the them or not...), make sure they look at:

1) the length of your foot, including your second toe. Your foot needs to fit properly in your shoe, and will be pushed forward when on releve’ or when in heels, so make sure there is a little wiggle room (not too much).

2) The placement of the navicular bone (the pointy bone on the inside of your arch, that is the apex of your arch, a shoemaker will know or should know how to find this). If the arch of the shoe is in a different place than the arch in your foot (i.e. too far forward or too far backwards) it will cause a ton of pain in the arch, the bones of the foot, or the ankle. This is because the foot will be forced to “sit” in a different resting position that it is intended.

3) The arch should rest on your arch, but not cause pin-point or pressure spots on the bottom of your foot. It may take time to get used to a stiffer shoe, but the pressure of weight bearing should be evenly dispersed.

4) The heel. If you have a heel spur, or a sensitive calcaneus, this is an issue for you. If the heel is pointy, make sure that it “flares” open to encompass the entire bottom of the heel where the actual heel spike makes contact with the bottom of the shoe. This will make sure that weight is dispersed evenly on the bottom of your foot.

5) If you have a spot that rubs, or a bunion, make sure you tell them. They can stretch out the leather in a certain area to give you room to move, or they can place pads on the inside of the shoe, that will not come off, so do not worry about quick changes.

6) Orthotics. If you wear them, bring them with you to the fitting. Often you will need a shoe that is 1/2 to 1 size larger because of needing room. As well, you will need a shoe that has more toe room because there is more depth of things inside the shoe itself. If you do not have this altered on the shoe, you may experience numbness in your toes because of pressure and discomfort as well.

7) If you do not have orthotics, but the shoes are so unsupportive that you think you may need them, simply ask to see a prototype of the shoe. If you wait until you get it, then you will again be in a shoe that will not accommodate the orthotic and the space that it will take, and then, it is too late...

8) regarding orthotics... a good Physical Therapist will know how to cast, mold or measure for a low-profile insert, meaning not very thick. These can be made flexible if they need to be danced in, or more rigid if they are for standing or tapping. Often, carbon fiber is the material of choice (more expensive than traditional plastic). It is light weight, very supportive, and lasts for a very long time. There are also specific measures for inserts that will go into a wedged, boot, or heeled shoe. Make sure you tell them this is the goal...

9) In your off-time from being in these shoes, make sure you support your feet. Don’t wear flip flops (Thongs, beach shoes, etc.). These will not support your feet at all and will lead to pain in the arch, the big toe, calf irritation, etc. Know that if you are in heels all day on stage, coming “down” from that will cause the calf to stretch and to weight bear on different aspects of your feel. Be aware of this transition.

10) Take care of your feet. Use a wood wheel to roll out the bottom of your arches (http://www.activeforever.com/p-1971-wooden-foot-roller-massager.aspx, see link below)

11) Take care of your arches and calves. We recommend Trigger Point Products to make sure the tension in the calf and the muscles in the calf that control the foot are taken care of (http://tptherapy.com/shop/all-tppt-products/tp-starter-set.html). Easy to travel with, put in your bag or your trunk.

Hope this helps, Happy Feet!
Gina

2011 September

Hi to All! Its Saturday morning, and that usually means day 2 of a 5 show weekend... tip of the day...cool down. From having worked dozens of shows, I know that lunch/dinner breaks are short, and free time is fleeting. But make sure that 2 show days have a cool down period, even between shows when you are running to stuff food in your body!

Suggestion:

– 10 deep breaths with arm motion (like jumping jacks in and out), or bend down while standing with legs wider than shoulder width and hunch forward, then reach overhead while breathing in. The diaphragm is the hardest to work, and then the easiest to be “shoved” to the side at break.

– Feet. Respect the calves. Whether you are dancing, standing in character shoes (or bad production shoes!), running up and down a million stairs as production or stage crew, or conducting. Stretch the calves, bent knee, straight knee. If there is an extra 2-3 minutes, roll our with the valuable Trigger Point product Quad Roller. Pulls tension out of the calf, and releases all of that tension that you don’t even pay attention to during the show!

– before show 2, assume that your neck muscles are tighter now than they were in the morning. They have worked for 3-4 hours, and now are not moving (dancing, turning to look downstage, etc.) Go through active motion of turning, side bending, and chin to chest and head back. Static stretch and hold if needed, or shared shoulder massage to get blood flow to the supporting vocal muscles as well!

Hope this helps, have a GREAT week!

As Broadway and New York remember Sep 11th, our thoughts are with you. We are ALL New Yorkers on Sunday.

Peace
Gina

2011 August

Triple Threat... Singers, Dancers, Actors/Actresses, and our musicians, conductors, stage team... It’s all about staying HEALTHY, so that when the stage calls, your body answers.

Let’s connect about tips to keep vocal cords healthy, diaphragm/breathing tips, general body ache Q and A, and make sure that wherever you are in the nation, we can get you (and keep you) healthy!

We’ll cover:

Dancers... flexibility, strength, counter motions to repetitive moves, foot health, alignment and so much more

Singers... relaxation techniques, nutrition advice for inflammation, sickness, etc... and taking care of positioning your ribs, neck, and body for the best sound

Actors... repetitive motion, even if it is not dance, still takes a toll on your body. Understand that you are respected, and deserve to be treated and taken care of, even if it a straight stage show, and not a musical.

Musicians... your body is a machine! Your music can only happen when your arms, wrists, fingers, mouth, TMJ, shoulders and more are healthy. And, sitting, standing, conducting, and more... we need to keep posture in mind.

There is so much info to prove to producers, company, stage management, and more, about how prevention is the key to a happy, healthy cast, and one that has longevity. If they knew how much it took to train new instead of keep the current, life would be great!

Talent will take you to the audition, perseverance will take you to the stage. But... only a healthy body will keep you there. Let us help!

Peace...
Gina

There is nothing more special than the 5 minute before curtain call on a Broadway show…. I am honored and humbled to be able to take care of some of the world’s most talented artists- in Chicago, in the Midwest, and around the nation. On-site medical care is not shy of responsibility and quick thinking, but leads to enormous gratitude and payoff when the actors, stage managers, production staff and more can be at their best, to fill every seat, and every heart in the audience. That is what it truly is all about.

Here is a glimpse into the workings and history of treatment here in Chicago!

• overall medical referral program to the best local docs that we have, for ENT, GP, Orthopedics, Podiatry and more
• Communication with stage management and production staff daily, and weekly
• Organization of entire treatment staff- multiple PT’s, massage therapists and more
• Instant decision making on being in or out for day if injury prevails
• Vocal stress- 8 show weeks
• availability 24/7 for company and cast to contact, oft times with immediate response needed
• Sickness- touring, changing climates, humidity, allergens, and more
• Rehabilitation- days at theater and more
• compete understanding of worker’s compensation process as well as actor’s equity insurance
• Understanding of contracts, call-outs, renewals, levels, and more to do with time off, understudy, replacements, vacation swings, etc.
• choreography knowledge for advice on alterations due to injury levels and return to stage
• work with costumes for changes and/or additions due to pain/injury
• Analyze the show, watching at times up to 20 run throughs, to specifically watch tracks as well as group numbers for predisposition to overuse, explanation of injury trends, etc.
• knowledge of nutrition with regards to seasonal issues, inflammation, etc.

Show Summary

Below is a list of shows that we have had the pleasure to work on, whether official or unofficial, on-site, daily, sporadically, or in-office word-of-mouth. From our tables to the stage, we will get you there!

The Book of Mormon
Jumamosi National Tour

Anything Goes
Billy Eliott

Memphis
A Chorus Line

Shrek

Jersey Boys

Mary Poppins

Coming soon…In the section, as a Member, you will be able to access step-by-step protocols for full-body injuries, per joint, per diagnosis, of a guide to physical therapy/manual treatment, exercise, in-gym ramp-up programs, protocols and more!