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By Judy Fortin CNN Adjust font size:
    (CNN) -- Six nights a week, 62 performers with Cirque du Soleil twist, bend and contort their bodies during a two-hour show. It's dangerous work and there is a high risk of injury. CNN Medical Correspondent Judy Fortin spoke with physiotherapist Michelle Sinclair, the woman who helps the performers stay healthy. Fortin: What does a physiotherapist do? Sinclair: For Cirque, it involves having to integrate all the doctor's appointments and keeping all the athletes healthy ... a whole range of things because I am the only medical person here. It goes from the warm-ups to the cool-downs, coughs and colds. Fortin: What kind of injuries do you see? Sinclair: We get a lot of trauma because it's a high acrobatic show. We get a lot of ankle sprains and trauma from the seesaw, lots of knee injuries, but we also get a lot of shoulder injuries because of the high bar. We get a lot of wear and tear and fatigue injuries too, which is more demanding to treat because it requires a lot for rehab, exercising and discipline. (Watch how these famous performers try to avoid injury -- 1:13 Fortin: How many performers are injured right now? Sinclair: Right now there are about 15 ongoing injuries, but only two or three [performers] are out of the show. Those still in the show will modify their act or the heavy lifting, depending on the injury. On a very bad day or week, it could get up to 10 people who are out, and that is big deal for the other actors left in the show because they have to do extra. Then they get injured because they are fatigued, so in that scenario it's a vicious circle. Fortin: How do the performers physically prepare for the show? Sinclair: Every artist has an individual program, tailored to their act and their bodies. They work on their own, and unless they get an injury, then we'll change it just for them. They warm up every day. About three or four times a week they do their individual exercises and programs just to keep themselves in shape and prevent overuse injuries. Fortin: Do they have a cool-down routine after the show? Sinclair: They do their own individual cool-down because some of the acts finish in the first five minutes. The high bar is the last act and they do their own cool-down, but for most, just walking around is enough to cool them down. We don't have a group stretching session after the show. Fortin: Do you have any special tips for performers? Sinclair: Listening to their bodies is the main factor. They are pretty good because most are Olympic athletes, so if they are feeling sick or tight, I will recommend they come in and have them work with a massage therapist. If they start to neglect [their bodies], that's when injury starts to happen. You can't do anything about fatigue doing 10 shows a week for six or seven weeks. You are bound to get some fatigue. Fortin: How do they keep up their energy? Sinclair: Nutrition is a big part. They're all educated and know what to eat from being a gymnast or acrobat. They are very sensible and limit nights out to when they are off. They get enough sleep and rest in between shows. |
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