Etiology and epidemiology of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders – a systematic review

Zięba Estera, Zieliński Grzegorz, Ginszt Michał. Etiology and epidemiology of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders – a systematic review. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2019;9(7):115-135. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3268835

http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/7113

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© The Authors 2019;

This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland

Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author (s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non commercial license Share alike.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

Received: 20.06.2019. Revised: 25.06.2019. Accepted: 04.07.2019.

Etiology and epidemiology of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders – a systematic review

Estera Zięba¹: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3242-468X, estera.zieba.umlub@gmail.com; Grzegorz Zieliński¹: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2849-0641, grzegorz.zielinski.um@gmail.com;

Michał Ginszt¹: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0800-6103, michal.ginszt@umlub.pl

1. Chair and Department of Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, and Balneotherapy, Medical University of Lublin

Corresponding author:

Estera Zięba

Address:

Magnoliowa 2

20-143 Lublin, Poland

+48513767774

estera.zieba.umlub@gmail.com

Acknowledgments

The result of the present study does not constitute an endorsement of the product by the authors or the journal.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Keywords: musicians; pain; muscles.

Abstract

Introduction: Instrumentalists are exposed to numerous musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD – Playing Related Musculoskeletal Disorders) or pain (PRP - Playing Related Pain). This condition is an effect of performance requirements, numerous rehearsals and stress. Musicians often underestimate the pain and the first symptoms of the overloads that their body sends them. They usually continue to practice for many hours a day, which only enlarges the damage of tissues. Unfortunately, this approach brings them closer to disability and exclusion from their profession.

Aims: Overview of the latest research on concerting musicians. Gathering information on the etiology and epidemiology of PRMD and PRP among instrumentalists.

Material and methods: This overview is based on studies from PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar's databases. In order to identify the relevant publications, the search was carried out using a combination of keywords: "musicians", "pain", "muscles". After applying the exclusion criteria, 16 assessed works were selected for the review.

Results: The frequency of musculoskeletal disorders related to playing a musical instrument may reach 60%, up to over 80% [1,11,14,25,31-33]. The etiology of these dysfunctions should be associated with the repetitive movements of the upper limbs, either in uncomfortable positions assumed at work or in the specific posture of the body during the performance. One should also remember about the psychological aspect, which is important in understanding the mechanism of overloading and prolonged persistence of pain among musicians. An overview of the literature showed that musculoskeletal disorder concerned women more often than men. The group of instruments that were connected with more frequent occurrence of pain were violins/violas and wind instruments. The most frequently affected body areas were: neck, back, and upper limbs. The information shown above is able to speed up diagnostics as well as proper therapy for professional musicians, which will contribute to their faster recovery. It should also indicate the direction for future research on the prevention of the abovementioned disorders and the ergonomics of the musician profession.

Conclusions: Professional musicians are a group particularly exposed to the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders associated with playing an instrument, due to the specific requirements of their work. Looking at the high prevalence of these disorders, it can be concluded that the knowledge about the etiology and the prevention of overload and pain is small, and the instrumentalists themselves do not seek help from specialists. Further research in the above-discussed problem is essential to enhance prevention and ergonomics of musician profession.