Musculoskeletal problems among string instrumentalists in South Africa.
Adedayo T Ajidahun, Witness Mudzi, Hellen Myezwa and 1 others
PMID 30135896WHAT IT FOUND
Most string players report musculoskeletal pain, with women at higher risk.
Low back, upper back, and shoulders are the main trouble spots. Symptoms are usually mild to moderate but interfere with performance for over a third of players.
Key findings
0177% of participants reported musculoskeletal problems in at least one body region, and 35% said these issues interfered with their performance in the last 7 days.
02The most commonly affected areas were the low back (63%), upper back (54%), left shoulder (53%), and neck (51%).
03Female instrumentalists were significantly more likely to report musculoskeletal problems than males, particularly in the trunk and left shoulder.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study relied on self-reported data, which can be subject to recall bias and subjective interpretation of pain and symptoms. The response rate was 40.9%, and the online survey response rate was lower (33.3%), which may limit the generalizability of the findings to all string players in South Africa. Data collection occurred during different seasons of the year for different orchestras, which could affect the reported prevalence of pain due to varying performance demands. Musicians with existing injuries may have been more motivated to participate, potentially skewing the prevalence estimates upward.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of the Witwatersrand.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that practice hours or age are the primary drivers of pain in this population, as the study found no significant association between these factors and overall musculoskeletal problem prevalence. Gender and specific body region pain patterns were the significant findings.