IADMS Miami 2000   [back to the Category]

The Developing Dancer: A Medical Perspective   [read the french version]

Author :   Jordan D. Metzl, M.D. New York-USA

Author: Jordan D. Metzl, M.D., Hospital for Special, Surgery, New York, NY, USA

This talk will provide a medical overview for those involved in the teaching and care of young dancers, including educators, physical therapists, and physicians. Discussion regarding the medical conditions affecting young dancers often focuses on orthopedic issues since these are the most frequently encountered types of dance-related problems. Medical issues specific to young dancers such as hypoestrogenemia and osteopenia, and general medical problems such as asthma and hypoglycemia, receive less attention in the discussion of dance-related problems. Although their presentation is often more subtle, their importance is not to be underestimated. This overview talk will address child and adolescent development primarily from the medical perspective of a pediatrician (Dr. Metzl) who has pursued dance medicine training. Emphasis will be placed on the non-orthopaedic issues of child and adolescent growth and development as they pertain to the general health of the young dancer.

This is the abstract of a paper presented at the Tenth Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, held 27-29 October 2000 in Miami, Florida, USA. All rights are reserved by the individual author(s).