High-Performing Young Musicians’ Playing-Related Pain. Results of a Large-Scale Study

Abstract

The present study examines the prevalence, localization, frequency, and intensity of playing-related pain (PRP) in a sample of high-performing young musicians. We also address coping behavior and communication about PRP between young musicians, teachers, parents, and other people, such as friends. The aim is to provide information on PRP among high-performing musicians in childhood and adolescence, which can serve as a basis for music education, practice, and prevention in the context of instrumental teaching and musicians’ health. The study is part of a large-scale study (N = 1,143) with highly musically gifted participants (age 9–24 years; M = 15.1; SD = 2.14, female = 62%) at the national level of the “Jugend musiziert” (youth making music) contest. For data analyses, we used descriptive statistics, correlations, Chi2-tests, principal component analysis, Kruskal–Wallis H tests, and multivariate regression. About three-quarters (76%) of the surveyed participants stated that they had experienced pain during or after playing their instrument. Female musicians were significantly more frequently affected (79%) than male musicians (71%). With increasing age, the prevalence of PRP rises from 71 percent (9–13 years) to 85 percent (18–24 years). Regarding localization of pain, results are in line with many other studies with musculoskeletal problems the most common. Furthermore, data show a clear relationship between the duration of practice and the prevalence of PRP. Our study found averages of 7:18 h/week, whereas mean values of the duration of practice vary considerably between different instruments. The variance in practice duration is very large within the different instruments. Thus, when researching PRP, it is necessary to consider both the differences between different groups of instruments in the average duration of practice as well as the very large inter-individual variation in the duration of practice within a given instrument group. While just over half of the young musicians (56%) felt they had been taken seriously, 32 percent felt that their complaints were not completely taken seriously, and 12 percent did not feel taken seriously at all. Therefore, it is necessary to improve communication and information about PRP to prevent PRP and counteract existing complaints.

A Longitudinal Study of Physical and Mental Health and Health-Related Attitudes Among Music Students: Potentials and Challenges for University Health Promotion Programs

“…Students enrolled in performance programs self-assessed their knowledge about health risks and protective behaviors as better than their fellow students enrolled in education training. This difference underlines that performance majors, who also practiced on average about 1,5 h more per day, may have already encountered health problems and are, thus, more aware of the risks for musicians ( Gembris et al, 2020 ). Furthermore, their peers might more frequently address preventive measures, warm-ups, and practice techniques.…”

“…On the one hand, these findings underline the concern students show about their health from an early point in their education on, on the other hand, these findings point to the importance of considering different needs of different majors when teaching music students techniques and measures to maintain their health. It should be mentioned, that 30% of adolescent high performing musicians suffering from injury or playing-related pain feel not taken seriously by their instrumental teachers ( Gembris et al, 2020 ). Concerning university students, our assumption that performance majors and music education majors differ regarding the aspects under investigation was only supported regarding self-assessed knowledge about health risks and health protective measures for musicians, the average daily practicing hours, and abilities to cope with performance anxiety.…”

Determining factors for compensatory movements of the left arm and shoulder in violin playing

“…Research dedicated to the latter group reports some of the highest levels of task-specific health problems ( Fry, 1986 ; Dawson, 2001 ; Berque and Gray, 2002 ; Aki and Yakut, 2003 ; Vinci et al, 2015 ; Kochem and Silva, 2017 ). Contributing co-factors may be one-sided posture and movement patterns when acquiring the necessary skills ( Ericsson et al, 1993 ; Mornell, 2009 ; Ranelli et al, 2011 ; Gembris et al, 2020 ), but also the realities of professional activity encountered later on when performing and teaching ( Spahn et al, 2014 ; Steinmetz, 2016 ; Smithson et al, 2017 ; Rensing et al, 2018 ; Schemmann et al, 2018 ; Gembris et al, 2020 ; Zaza and Farewell, 2001 ). The prevention of task-specific health problems in musicians has been receiving increased attention, with a growing number of initiatives offering musicians concepts on how to safeguard their health at various stages of their career ( Spahn et al, 2001 ; Hildebrandt and Nübling, 2004 ; Hildebrandt, 2009 , 2017 ).…”

“…The number of studies dedicated to electromyographic (EMG) measurements of violinists is growing. They examine a broad spectrum of relevant aspects, such as the influence of ergonomics, anthropometrics, and repertoire ( Philipson et al, 1990 ; Cattarello et al, 2017 , 2018 ; Kok et al, 2019 ; Chi et al, 2020 ; Mann et al, 2021 ), the comparison between muscle activation levels in healthy violinists and those reporting task-specific health problems ( Spahn et al, 2001 ; Berque and Gray, 2002 ; Fjellman-Wiklund et al, 2004 ; Hildebrandt and Nübling, 2004 ; Moore et al, 2008 ; McCray et al, 2016 ), muscular variability, endurance and fatigue aspects of violin performance ( Shan et al, 2004 ; Wagner, 2005 ; Gembris et al, 2020 ; Rousseau et al, 2020 ). In contrast, research comparing subjectively perceived effort levels and objective data on muscle activation when playing the violin appears to be scarcer ( Chan et al, 2000 ; Hildebrandt et al, 2021 ).…”

Modulation of Negative Affect Predicts Acceptance of Music Streaming Services, While Personality Does Not

“…The Five-Factor Model , also known as the “Big Five,” the “Five Factor Model,” or the “OCEAN model,” is the dominant model of personality ( McCrae, 2009 ). Its five traits are “openness,” “conscientiousness,” “extraversion,” “agreeableness,” and “neuroticism.” In the context of music, personality has been shown to correlate with music preferences ( Rentfrow and Gosling, 2003 , 2006 ; Schäfer and Mehlhorn, 2017 ; Ruth and Müllensiefen, 2020 ), affect modulation strategies ( von Georgi et al, 2006 ; von Georgi, 2013 ), creativity ( da Costa et al, 2015 ), creative achievement in the arts ( Harris et al, 2019 ), music taxonomy preferences ( Ferwerda et al, 2019 ), the experience of flow ( Heller et al, 2015 ), performance anxiety ( Bullerjahn et al, 2020 ), and playing related pain ( Gembris et al, 2020 ).…”