The Mason Spirit

Joining just a handful of others around the country, Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) have joined together to start a performing arts medicine clinic.

The clinic is currently available to all dance majors in CVPA and the in-house athletic trainer is the first point of contact for dancers looking to increase their strength and rehab from minor injuries. Stephanie Symons, a graduate student in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism within CEHD and a nationally certified and state-licensed athletic trainer, staffs the clinic.

“Students realize the importance of tracking the progress of their recovery and have been very receptive to the clinic,” says Symons.

Most students go to Symons with sprained ankles or strained muscles, but Christina Lydia Salgado was looking for help with an injured hip. Symons developed exercises for Salgado to complete in a swimming pool so there was less stress on her hip joint.

“I was able to work with someone right in the department, which made the process easier,” says Salgado. “[Symons] also can guide us through the healing process, which is very important, since we all want to be able to perform to the best of our ability in our dance classes.”