Arts Medicine

Dancers, musicians and visual artists have special medical needs. These artists earn their living through their bodies, and even small decrements of function can be catastrophic. Visual artists have unique occupational medicine exposures that can generate unusual health problems. Fortunately performing and visual artists also tend to be the best patients – intelligent, with strong focus and able to do the work to heal their bodies.

It is very rare for us to stop an artist from rehearsal or performance as a part of medical treatment. We understand that stopping those activities at critical times in the season may be catastrophic. We know that most performers and artists do not have the luxury of taking time off; no work means no income! Principles of ‘relative rest’ and occasionally altering the performance can often be enough to allow performers to get through critical times. These principles are also true for visual artists who have unique occupational medicine exposures that can generate health problems.

Dr. Clearman, Executive Director of Personal Physician Group LLP, has always had a special interest in performing artists, visual artists, writers and designers; she has been working in Arts Medicine since the 1980s.

Dr. Clearman and the Arts Medicine team are committed to the care of the Houston artistic community and are willing to give our services with full time performing and visual artists who would not otherwise be able to receive medical services. Once a month, Personal Physician Group LLP sponsors a free Arts Medicine Clinic from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Arts Medicine Clinic also has other volunteers – physical therapist Jennifer Hochnadel PT DPT from Affiliates in Physical Therapy, massage therapist Ken Newby MTR and psychiatrist Barbara Taylor MD also serve the arts community via this clinic.

If you are a professional artist or performer, lack of funds should not prevent you from getting help for your medical problem. If you are a dance, music, performance or visual arts student and require financial help for medical care, you may be eligible for this clinic.

To find out if Arts Medicine Clinic is right for you, please call our office at 713-524-9800.