Biography:
Howard Nelson has been a physical therapist for 27 years. He began working at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City in 1988, and then worked for 10 years at Hospital for Special Surgery, also in NYC. Howard helped form the Hospital’s physical therapy Outpatient Spine Center, and served as its clinical supervisor. He also worked for 5 years in HSS’s sports medicine department. Currently he is in private practice in New York. In 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2014 he taught a lecture/lab class on movement system impairments for Columbia University’s physical therapy program. For the past 8 years Howard has worked and studied with Washington University’s physical therapy department developing his expertise in movement system impairments. His physical therapy practice is focused on improving the biomechanics of how people use their bodies. Specifically, he evaluates how postures and movements can be the cause of injury and pain.
In the last few years Howard has begun applying movement system principles to musicians. He has worked with musicians in Rolle and Verbier, Switzerland, Caramoor, Rice University, Chicago Music Institute, and the Tokyo Viola and Menuhin Competitions.
He specializes in analyzing how movements and alignments in daily life, and while playing an instrument, can contribute to a pain problem. He uses video to help in his analysis, and can show musicians how to videotape themselves at home.
