Instrumentalist Musicians

Instrumentalist Musicians - Athletes of The Arts

Whilst sporting athletes may be prone to developing injuries from their sport, musicians are similarly at risk of developing playing related injuries. As such musicians require specific strength and conditioning to ensure peak performance.

Some of the most common disorders related to musicians are:

Overuse Syndrome
Overuse is a term that refers to the condition where the use and demand is above the natural tolerance of tissues, which results in a degree of damage.

Compression Neuropathy
The signs of peripheral nerve compression are sensory loss, numbness or tingling, weakness and difficulty with fine motor coordination. The diagnosis of a specific entrapment syndrome may require electrodiagnostic and medical imaging.

Hypermobility Syndrome
There is a relatively high prevalence of hypermobility syndrome in musicians, which is thought to be due to the fact that the increase in hand span and range of motion of the fingers help in mastering some of the technical difficulties, including playing chords on a piano, or reaching the higher notes on a violin.

Due to the lack of passive support for the joints, it is essential for hypermobile musicians who suffer from musculoskeletal injuries to develop adequate strength and endurance for the muscles that support the hypermobile joints. Occasionally, splinting will be needed to achieve pain-free playing.

Musician Dystonia
Musician dystonia presents as a sustained or intermittent involuntary muscle contraction or lack of motor control of a movement that is highly trained. It can affect the fingers, hands, arms of musicians or the embouchure of the wind or brass players.

Treatment for each condition is different, but there are a few things in common for the treatment of all musician injuries, including:

The establishment of good posture by strengthening and stretching
Modifying practice for more efficiency with less physical loading
Splinting for support and to assist motor re-learning
Changing the interface between the musician's body and their musical instruments to change physical loading of playing.

If you believe you may benefit from an assessment or discussion with Elsa, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly reception team on (03) 5331 3066 to make your appointment or click here to book online.