Musicians experience a number of health problems related to the practice and performance of music.

Health conditions

The most common injury type suffered by musicians is

repetitive strain injury A repetitive strain injury (RSI) is an injury to part of the musculoskeletal or nervous system caused by repetitive use, vibrations, compression or long periods in a fixed position. Other common names include repetitive stress disorders, cumula ...

(RSIs). A survey of orchestral performers found that 64–76% had significant RSIs. Other types of

musculoskeletal disorder Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or pain in the human musculoskeletal system, including the joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, tendons, and structures that support limbs, neck and back. MSDs can arise from a sudden exertion (e.g., ...

s, such as

carpal tunnel syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the collection of symptoms and signs associated with median neuropathy at the carpal tunnel. Most CTS is related to idiopathic An idiopathic disease is any disease with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparen ...

and

focal dystonia Focal dystonia, or focal task specific dystonia, is a neurological condition, a type of '' dystonia'', that affects a muscle or group of muscles in a specific part of the body during specific activities, causing involuntary muscular contractions an ...

, are also common. Non-musculoskeletal problems include

contact dermatitis Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes are ...

, hearing problems such as

tinnitus Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no corresponding external sound is present. Nearly everyone experiences a faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely quiet room; but it is of concern only if it is bothersome, interferes with normal hearin ...

hearing loss Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to Hearing, hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to Language ...

hyperacusis Hyperacusis is the increased sensitivity to sound and a low tolerance for environmental noise. Definitions of hyperacusis can vary significantly; it can refer to normal noises being perceived as: loud, annoying, painful, fear-inducing, or a combina ...

and

diplacusis Diplacusis, also known as diplacusis binauralis, binauralis disharmonica or interaural pitch difference (IPD), is a hearing disorder whereby a single auditory stimulus is perceived as different pitches between ears. It is typically experienced ...

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respiratory disorders or

pneumothorax A pneumothorax is an abnormal collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve ...

, increased intraocular pressure,

gastroesophageal reflux disease Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is one of the upper gastrointestinal chronic diseases where stomach content persistently and regularly flows up into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms and/ ...

, and psychological issues such as

performance anxiety Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...

. Musicians may suffer

and hearing disorders due to exposure to loud music, such as

. They also are at an increased risk of having problems with the stomatognathic system, in particular mouth and teeth, which may in some cases lead to permanent injuries that prevent the musicians from playing. There is little consistency across the hearing healthcare sector with respect to care of musicians' hearing and provision of hearing protection. However, the American Academy of Audiology has published a consensus document regarding best practices for hearing loss prevention with musicians. Playing a brass or woodwind instrument puts the musician at greater risk of inguinal hernia. Woodwind instrumentalists, in rare cases, suffer a condition known as ''hypersensitivity pneumonitis'', also referred to as ''saxophone lung'', can be caused by

Exophiala ''Exophiala'' is a genus of Teleomorph, anamorph and holomorph, anamorphic fungus, fungi in the family Herpotrichiellaceae. The widespread genus contains 28 species. The genus was formally described by J. W. Carmichael in 1966. ''Exophiala'' has ...

infection. It is held that this can occur if instruments are not cleaned properly. The risk of DJ's working in nightclubs with

loud music Loud music is music that is played at a high volume, often to the point where it disturbs others and causes hearing damage. It may include music that is sung live, played with musical instruments, or with electronic media, such as Radio broadcas ...

includes

noise-induced hearing loss Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a Hearing loss, hearing impairment resulting from exposure to loud sound. People may have a loss of perception of a narrow range of Frequency, frequencies or impaired perception of sound including hyperacusi ...

and

. Nightclubs constantly exceed safe levels of noise exposure with average sound levels ranging from 93.2 to 109.7 dB. Constant music exposure creates temporary and permanent auditory dysfunction for professional DJ's with average levels at 96dB being above the recommended level, at which

ear protection Ear protection refers to devices used to protect the ear, either externally from elements such as cold, intrusion by water and other environmental conditions, debris. High levels of exposure to noise may result in noise-induced hearing loss N ...

is mandatory for industry. Three quarters of DJs have tinnitus and are at risk of

tenosynovitis Tenosynovitis is the inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath (called the synovium) that surrounds a tendon, typically leading to joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. Tenosynovitis can be either infectious or noninfectious. Common clinical manifest ...

in the wrists and other limbs. Tenosynovitis results from staying in the same position over multiple gigs for scratching motion and cueing, this would be related to a

. Gigs can last 4-5 hours in

nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, c ...

and the

hospitality industry The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, travel and tourism. It includes hotels, tourism agencies, restaurants and bars. Sector ...

, as a result there are potential

complications of prolonged standing The complications of prolonged standing are conditions that may arise after standing, walking, or running for prolonged periods. Many of the complications come from prolonged standing (more than 60% of a work day) that is repeated several times a we ...

which include slouching, varicose veins, cardiovascular disorders, joint compression, and muscle fatigue. This is common for other staff to experience as well including bartenders and security staff for example.

References

External links

* {{cite journal , last1=Okoshi , first1=Kae , last2=Minami , first2=Taro , last3=Masahiro , first3=Kikuchi , last4=Tomizawa , first4=Yasuko , title=Musical Instrument-Associated Health Issues and Their Management , journal=The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine , date=2017 , volume=243 , issue=1 , pages=49–56 , doi=10.1620/tjem.243.49 , pmid=28931767 , url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/243/1/243_49/_article , access-date=31 December 2020, doi-access=free *

National Association of Schools of Music The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Reston ...

(NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) Advisories on Hearing Health

Injuries Occupational safety and health Audiology Hearing loss Music-related lists

Health conditions

See also

References

External links