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Review
. 2013 Sep;5(3):155-60.
doi: 10.4055/cios.2013.5.3.155. Epub 2013 Aug 20.

Musicians' medicine: musculoskeletal problems in string players

Han-Sung Lee  1 , Ho Youn Park, Jun O Yoon, Jin Sam Kim, Jae Myeung Chun, Iman W Aminata, Won-Joon Cho, In-Ho Jeon
Affiliations
Review

Musicians' medicine: musculoskeletal problems in string players

Han-Sung Lee et al. Clin Orthop Surg. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

There is increasing attention to medical problems of musicians. Many studies find a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in musicians, ranging from 73.4% to 87.7%, and string players have the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal problems. This paper examines the various positions and movements of the upper extremities in string players: 1) basic postures for holding instruments, 2) movements of left upper extremity: fingering, forearm posture, high position and vibrato, 3) movements of right upper extremity: bowing, bow angles, pizzicato and other bowing techniques. These isotonic and isometric movements can lead to musculoskeletal problems in musicians. We reviewed orthopedic disorders that are specific to string players: overuse syndrome, muscle-tendon syndrome, focal dystonia, hypermobility syndrome, and compressive neuropathy. Symptoms, interrelationships with musical performances, diagnosis and treatment of these problems were then discussed.

Keywords: Musculoskeletal problems; String players; Upper extremities.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Basic posture of the violist's left upper extremity. (A) An anterior view of the basic posture of the violinist's left hand and wrist. (B) The left fingers have to be as vertical as possible to minimize the dispersion of the sound.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
When the players make high tones, they place their fingertips on the fingerboard near the bridge by controlling their elbow and forearm, which is called 'high position'. (A) A photograph showing the left elbow and wrist are hyperflexed. (B) A photograph showing the forearm is extremely supinated.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
When players bow the strings located on the left side of the players, the elevation and rotation of the shoulder is demanded. (A) An anterior view of the right upper extremity. (B) A lateral view of the right upper extremity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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