Musicians' Health Scotland

General information

Musicians' Health Scotland is a website for musicians and performing artists throughout Scotland. It gives information on clinics held in Glasgow for the management and prevention of playing-related health problems.

Patrice Berque is a chartered physiotherapist specialised in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries affecting performing artists, especially musicians. He is also involved in academic research in the field of Performing Arts Medicine, and in health promotion and prevention of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Patrice set up a Musicians' Clinic in 2002 in Glasgow, with the help of the Musicians Union Scotland (MU). Since then, he has treated many amateur and professional musicians with playing-related health problems. Clinics are held at Scottish Opera Production Studios, Edington Street, Glasgow and at the ARC, Glasgow Caledonian University. See website for more details.

Patrice Berque was a professional hornplayer. He trained with Professor Ifor James in Freiburg, Germany. He subsequently obtained a post with "Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine", France. He also freelanced with "Symphonisches Orchester Berlin", and "Orchestre de la Suisse Romande", Geneva.

His musical career was curtailed by focal dystonia of the embouchure muscles, and he then trained as a chartered physiotherapist in Scotland. He now works in one of the Glasgow NHS hospitals as a specialist neuromusculoskeletal physiotherapist. His clinical interest lies in the field of Performing Arts Medicine and he runs clinics in Glasgow for the management of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders affecting performing artists.

He is involved in research in this field and had publications in "Medical Problems of Performing Artists" (USA), "Médecine des Arts" (France), "Physiotherapy" (UK), "Manual Therapy" (UK), "Neurology" (USA). He also regularly presents his work at several international conferences.