Work postures and neck-shoulder pain among orchestra musicians

• Published in: American journal of industrial medicine Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 370 - 376
• Main Authors: Nyman, Teresia, Wiktorin, Christina, Mulder, Marie, Johansson, Yvonne Liljeholm
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.05.2007; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; exposure assessment; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous. Osteoarticular involvement in other diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases - epidemiology; Music; musicians; Neck Pain - epidemiology; neck-shoulder pain; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; performing arts medicine; Posture - physiology; Prevalence; Shoulder Pain - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden - epidemiology; work related; Sweden; Europe; Human; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Orchestra; musicians; Painful shoulder; exposure assessment; performing arts medicine; Occupational exposure; work related; Posture; neck-shoulder pain; Pain; Shoulder; Musician; Neck; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 0271-3586; 1097-0274
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20454

Background The purpose of the present study was to identify associations between a work posture with elevated arm position, duration of active playing time, and neck–shoulder pain among orchestra musicians. Methods In this study, with a cross‐sectional study design, a total of 235 subjects from 12 Swedish orchestras were categorized into four exposure groups according to arm position and duration of active playing time. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) for neck–shoulder pain in the four exposure groups. Results A higher prevalence of neck–shoulder pain were found in the groups “elevated arm position, <2 hr per workday” [OR 4.15 (1.30–13.22)], and “elevated arm position, >3 hr per workday” [OR 5.35 (1.96–14.62)] compared to the group “neutral arm position, <2 hr per workday”. Conclusions Musicians working in an elevated arm position (e.g., violinists, violists, flutists, and trumpet players) had a higher prevalence of neck–shoulder pain than those working in a more neutral position. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:370–376, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.