AthletiCo Physical Therapist Travels to Russia with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

AthletiCo Lincoln Park/Lakeview physical therapist, Kathleen Holden, recently joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago on their trip to St. Petersburg, Russia.  As the traveling physical therapist, Kathleen was on-call for the performers, as well as for the stage crew and artistic staff who traveled to Russia.  Being in a foreign country Kathleen was also the sole healthcare provider should any other issues arise.

The company began rehearsals to find that not only the stage of the theater, but also the rehearsal studio were “raked,” meaning a slight slant to the floor.  A raked stage generally brings on a few more ankle and lower leg pains than a flat stage, which proved true this trip. 

Kathleen was available for appointments with the dancers, and she also offered opportunities for dancers to drop-in to have aches and injuries evaluated and treated. The accommodations allowed for her to have access to a treatment table and a separate room for rehabilitation. At times when these were not available, she had to improvise treating a few dancers on a bench in a hallway and a few on the floor.

Overall the dancers remained healthy and were able to perform to their fullest. The shows were a great success. Traveling is a very different way to practice physical therapy as compared to being in the clinic, but it makes for a very exciting experience.