Objectives: To evaluate how performing artists (PAs) with chronic pain may differ on measures of substance use compared to non-PA controls.
Methods: 157 participants reporting chronic pain (89 PAs, 68 non-PA controls) completed an online cross-sectional survey. Participants were assessed for self-reported current pain severity using the Brief Pain Inventory Short-Form, opioid misuse risk using the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised, opioid withdrawal using the Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale, and symptoms of opioid use disorder (OUD) using a modified version of the DSM-V checklist.
Results: PAs had lower pain severity (p <0.05, t=2.196, df=155) and lower pain interference (p <0.05, t=2.194) than non-PA controls. 24% of PAs and 13% of controls reported using opioids within the past month. Among PAs, the number of days using opioids in the past month was positively associated with hours spent practicing per week (r=0.508, p <0.05). PAs (66%) were more likely to endorse current alcohol use than controls (44.1%, t= -2.136, X2=7.72, p <0.01). Importantly, PAs (19%) were more likely than controls (3%) to endorse symptoms of at least mild OUD (X2(3)=11.3, p <0.01) and higher ratings of opioid misuse risk (t=-2.166, p <0.05). Past month opioid withdrawal was also greater in PAs than controls (t=-2.136, p <0.05), and 5.6% of PAs and 1.5% of controls reported at least one prior incidence incident of opioid overdose in their lifetime (X2 =1.80, NS).
Conclusions: Among persons with chronic pain, PAs may have higher risk for opioid-related consequences, including OUD, and should be screened during health care encounters.
Objective: First and second violinists in orchestras use identical instruments, but the motor patterns used to execute the different notes may vary between the two groups and the biomechanical gestures may influence musculoskeletal complaints. The primary objective of this study was to compare the pain intensity and interference in musical performance of first and second violinists of professional youth chamber orchestras. Second, to investigate the correlation between pain and the musical practice profile in this population.
Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 74 violinists, aged 12 to 17 years, from three professional youth chamber orchestras in Brazil. Participants completed a validated self-administered questionnaire, the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians-Brazilian version (MPIIQM-Br). Variables related to musical practice profiles were also recorded. Data analysis applied t-tests for independent samples and Pearson's correlation coefficient.
Results: The sample of first violinists (n=39) presented 23 males and 16 females, and the second violinists (n=35) included 23 females and 12 males. The mean age was 13.9 yrs (SD 1.1) and 14.1 yrs (1.0) for the first and second violinist groups, respectively. Most participants (n=66, 89%) reported pain in at least one moment of their career, and 54 (76%) reported pain at the time of data collection. A higher pain prevalence was identified in the right shoulder (37.7%), in 28.2% of the second violinists and 9.4% of the first. The second violinists presented higher scores for most variables related to pain intensity and pain interference in performance (p < 0.05). A correlation was observed between time working at a professional level and the number of affected areas on the body pain map (r=0.30; 95% CI 0.23-0.42) and between the hours of daily practice and the number of affected areas on the body pain map (r=0.39; 95% CI 0.29-0.45).
Conclusion: Second violinists had more complaints of pain and difficulty in playing their instrument compared to the first violinists. The study also found a correlation between the number of body areas with pain complaints and variables linked to the violinists' practice profile.
Objectives: Clinical conditions such as focal dystonia often require the assessment of atrophy and weakness of the finger muscles. However, due to a lack of well-established protocols, the current investigation focused on assessing the reliability of thickness and strength assessments of the flexor digitorum (FD) muscle, including both the superficialis and profundus components. As a secondary assessment, the reliability of the strength measurement of the extensor digitorum muscle was examined as well.
Methods: Different thickness measurements of the FD were taken via ultrasonography and averaged to estimate the mean thickness of the FD. Likewise, individual finger strength measurements taken by a custom-made finger pressure device were averaged to compute the mean strength of the flexor and extensor digitorum muscles. Test-retest reliability of the above measurements performed at two different time points (about 6 months apart) were examined on the right and left hands of 10 participants.
Results: Findings indicated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.92) for the mean thickness assessment of the FD and mean strength of the flexor and extensor digitorum for both dominant and non-dominant hands. The standard error of measurement was ≤4.3% for all three mean assessments, indicating high sensitivity. Likewise, the smallest detectable change was also sufficiently small for the mean thickness and mean strength of the flexor digitorum (≤5.1%) and moderately small (≤12%) for the strength of the extensor digitorum.
Conclusions: Results indicated an excellent relative and absolute reliability, for both hands, for the mean thickness and strength assessments of the flexor digitorum muscle and for the mean strength of the extensor digitorum (measured for both hands). These measurements can be used for future investigations and can contribute to the establishment of more precise methods for assessing the muscles in the forearms which serve the hand.
Objective: 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.
Methods: Eight experienced clarinetists played a series of three etude pieces while playing both with and without a neck strap. For each condition, the force between the right thumb and clarinet was measured, electromyographic (EMG) data were collected from seven muscle groups, and subjective assessment of perceived effort was obtained.
Results: The results showed that when the neck strap was used, there was a significant decrease in the average force between the thumb and clarinet (p<0.05) and a decrease in the average perceived effort required for the right shoulder and thumb of the participants (p<0.05). Importantly, there were no statistically significant increases in the muscle activity of any of the neck and shoulder muscles with the introduction of the neck strap intervention.
Conclusion: 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.
Background: Female musicians are prone to the development of musculoskeletal complaints (MSC). The etiology of this increased risk is poorly understood. As the number of professional female musicians increases, so does the importance of understanding female-specific risk factors for MSC in musicians.
Objective: To provide an overview of current literature of proven and possible risk factors/etiology of MSC in female musicians, and to identify topics for future studies.
Methods: Systematic review performed according to international guidelines. A database search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, clinicaltrials.gov, and gray literature. Studies were independently selected and rated by two reviewers. QUIPS and STROBE guidelines were used for assessing quality and risk of bias. Risk factors were categorized by means of the theoretical framework of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) and evaluated using the Bradford Hill criteria for causality.
Results: Out of 1,924 records, 10 eligible studies were included. A low to moderate level of methodological quality was present in the studies. Fifteen risk factors could be identified from the included studies, which were positioned in the ICF model. The two most frequently mentioned female-specific risk factors were hand size and joint laxity. None of the risk factors fulfilled Bradford Hill's criteria for causality. Many other risk factors were suggested, while a number of expected causes were not encountered.
Conclusion: At this moment, no evidence-based deductions can be made about female-specific risk factors for MSC in musicians. There is a lack of high-quality studies in this field and a need for studies with a different focus and a prospective study design.
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). Analyses revealed relatively high levels of wellbeing, with participants scoring particularly high on personal growth and purpose in life (15.73 and 14.11, respectively, out of a maximum of 18). They also had high levels of grit (3.90 ± 0.33 out of a maximum of 5). 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.