Student Profiles / Lazarus Nono
Performing Arts Medicine MSc
Since graduating as an Osteopath in 1997, Lazarus has worked in a number of different practices. He is a senior clinic tutor at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine and over the past 16 years, has tutored a variety of subjects ranging from anatomical studies to diagnostic reasoning.
Prior to becoming an osteopath, Lazarus trained in Classical Ballet, Jazz, and contemporary dance. He under took the MSc in Performing Arts Medicine (PAM) a collaborative program between University College of London, The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, Royal College of Music & Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and The Institute of Sport Exercise & Health. He chose the PAM course to further his interest in performing arts related musculoskeletal pain. The course focused on specific treatment for dancers, musicians, and other performing artists.
Classical ballet dancers spend most of their career with their feet facing to the side (lateral hip rotation (turnout). This posture places stress on the biomechanics of the lower limb. Jumping and bending in this position often causes meniscal tears in the knee. Lazarus’ professional dance career ended due to meniscal injuries. His MSc research at UCL the title: An investigation into the relationship between pre-jump foot positioning and its influence on jump height; was inspired by his knee injuries. The aimed the project was to determine whether there was any correlation between jump height and different degrees of lateral hip rotation. The assumption being that the results would contribute to the understanding of dance related lower limb injuries.
Since graduating from UCL in 2014, Lazarus has regularly attended postgraduate courses organised by One Dance UK and The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, which have further develop his performing arts medicine skills. He has been fortunate to be able to return to UCL as a guest lecturer on the performing arts medicine course.
Among his many teaching/ clinical duties at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lazarus has also been integral to setting up performing arts education / clinical supervision at the college.