Medical problems of performing artists
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Med Probl Perform Art · Dec 2021
Impact of a Neck Strap Intervention on Perceived Effort, Thumb Force, and Muscle Activity of Clarinetists.
Clarinetists often report discomfort of the right wrist and thumb and note that it is likely the result of the constant force applied to the area from the instrument's weight and the musician's technique. One preventative measure to reduce this discomfort is the use of a neck strap. The objective of the current study was to document the biomechanical impacts of this intervention. ⋯ A neck strap intervention had positive effects on the right thumb while not causing any known adverse effects to other areas such as the neck, upper back, and shoulders.
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Med Probl Perform Art · Dec 2021
Prevalence of Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Problems Among Professional Orchestra Musicians in South Africa: A Study Using the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians (MPIIQM).
The prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal problems (PRMPs) in professional musicians is well documented in the literature, but few studies have been done on South African professional musicians. ⋯ This study, the first to make use of a validated self-report instrument, shows that musculoskeletal problems are common among full-time and part-time professional orchestral musicians in South Africa.
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Med Probl Perform Art · Dec 2021
Psychological Wellbeing and Grit Among Freelancers in the UK Dance Industry.
The UK dance industry is composed largely of freelance workers, yet freelancers are an under-researched population within the dance science literature. The aim of this study was to investigate psychological wellbeing and grit (a combination of passion and persistence) among freelancers working in various roles in the UK dance sector. A total of 282 freelancers completed validated questionnaires tapping psychological wellbeing and grit (the 18-item Psychological Wellbeing Scale and Short Grit Scale). ⋯ Freelancers who identified as being early career reported significantly higher levels of grit than the mid and late career groups. Significant positive correlations were found between grit and the wellbeing domains of personal growth, purpose in life, and positive relations. Overall, the results of this study support previous qualitative research suggesting that a freelance dance career may provide elements of psychological wellbeing, and that passion and persistence towards long-term goals could be essential in the pursuit of a freelance career.
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Med Probl Perform Art · Sep 2021
Brazilian Version of the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians (MPIIQM-Br): Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties.
The present study aimed to adapt and validate the self-report tool named Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians (MPIIQM-Br) into the Brazilian Portuguese language for professional orchestra musicians. ⋯ The MPIIQM-Br is a transcultural equivalent, reliable, and valid tool for the measurement and evaluation of pain and pain interference among professional orchestra musicians.
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Med Probl Perform Art · Sep 2021
Wrist Internal Loading and Tempo-Dependent, Effort-Reducing Motor Behaviour Strategies for Two Elite Pianists.
One of the greatest challenges in reducing high rates of performance injuries among musicians is in providing them usable tools to address playing-related musculoskeletal problems (PRMP) before they become disorders. Studies in biomechanics have the potential to provide such tools. In order to better understand the mechanisms through which PRMP manifest in pianists, especially in the distal segments of the upper limbs, the current study quantifies wrist internal loading (WIL) and wrist impact loading frequency. ⋯ Individualized anthropometry influenced the range of motor strategies available to each pianist. The pianist with the larger hand span employed a flexion/extension wrist strategy as a compensatory means for effort reduction, while the pianist with the smaller hand span employed a radial/ ulnar deviation strategy. The current study provides a new perspective in addressing PRMP among pianists by rationalizing anthropometric potentials in terms of ergonomic parameters and documenting the availability and utility of effort-reduction strategies in the wrists during piano performance as performers consider PRMP risk and avoidance.