Injuries in Professional Orchestral Musicians - An Overview of Current Data and Trends

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dc.contributor.advisorStallmann, Kurt
dc.creatorWagner, Christoph
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-09T18:07:11Z
dc.date.available2023-08-09T18:07:11Z
dc.date.created2023-05
dc.date.issued2023-04-18
dc.date.submittedMay 2023
dc.date.updated2023-08-09T18:07:11Z
dc.description.abstractProfessional orchestral musicians face strenuous physical and psychological demands. Despite increasing interest in the medical field to evaluate and address the occupational health of these musicians, reliable data are still rare, and research methodologies and terminologies often lack standards and consistency. This document seeks to investigate the scope of the current knowledge and establish a baseline understanding of the status quo, thereby generating awareness of the physiological symptoms and injuries that professional orchestral musicians experience. In order to map the data and investigate the nature of the literature, the methodology of a scoping review was applied. The objective was to synthesize available information on the prevalence of playing-related symptoms and injuries in the context of geographic, anatomical, and instrumental-specific characteristics. The search identified 3,670 non-duplicate articles, of which 54 were included after full-text screening for data extraction. These studies were conducted in 20 countries with a total of 12,199 participants. The overall prevalence of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and neurologic symptoms and injuries ranged from 55% to 95%. The most common anatomical locations of pain in professional orchestral musicians included the neck, shoulders, back, and hands. Two significant outcomes were identified based on the included articles: First, professional orchestral musicians are at severe risk for playing-related symptoms and injuries. The prevalence rates of symptoms and complaints are remarkably high, and pain is frequently experienced and interferes with performance. Second, the population of professional orchestral musicians is understudied and features a scarcity of reliable data. There is a lack of data in the context of geographic, anatomical, and instrumental-related specifics, and particularly a lack of high-quality data providing transparent, quantifiable results. Future research needs to focus on establishing international definitions, standards, and surveillance tools to adequately assess this population and provide high-quality data. A sound body of research is needed to advocate for initiatives to advance occupational conditions and improve the health and wellbeing of professional orchestral musicians. Ultimately, a collaborative effort between research, medicine, orchestras, unions, professional organizations, and educational institutions is urged to successfully implement strategies to mitigate the risk of injury and promote long-term sustainable peak performance.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationWagner, Christoph. "Injuries in Professional Orchestral Musicians - An Overview of Current Data and Trends." (2023) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/115130">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/115130</a>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/115130
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.subjectplaying-related
dc.subjectpain
dc.subjectsymptoms
dc.subjectdisorders
dc.subjectinjuries
dc.subjectmusculoskeletal
dc.subjectneuromuscular
dc.subjectneurologic
dc.subjectorchestra
dc.subjectorchestral musician
dc.subjectprofessional orchestral musician
dc.subjectscoping review
dc.subjectPRISMA-ScR
dc.titleInjuries in Professional Orchestral Musicians - An Overview of Current Data and Trends
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentMusic
thesis.degree.disciplineMusic
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Musical Arts
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