Abstract
BackgroundThe achievement and improvement of skills in musical techniques to reach the highest levels of performance may expose music students to a wide range of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs).In order to establish effective solutions for PRMDs and to develop future preventive measures, it is fundamental to firstly identify the main risk factors that play a significant role in the development of musculoskeletal conditions and symptoms.The aim of the study is to identify those factors associated with increased risk of PRMDs among music students.A further goal is to characterise this population and describe the clinical features of PRMDs, as well as to determine the evolving course of PRMDs in music students during their training.MethodsOne hundred and ninety schools have been invited to participate in this study, sixty of which have already confirmed officially their support for the investigation’s recruitment procedures, by means of a subsequent distribution of the link to a web-based questionnaire to their student groups (total potential student numbers available: n = 12,000 [based on ~ 200 students per school on average, and 60 volunteering schools]; expected number of students: n = 3000 [based on a 25% response rate from the 12,000 students attending the 60 volunteering schools]).The web-based questionnaire includes questions about any PRMD that students have experienced during their training, and different potential risk factors (i.e. lifestyle and physical activity, practice habits, behaviour toward prevention and health history, level of stress, perfectionism, fatigue and disability).Overall recurrence or new onsets of PRMDs will be assessed at 6 and 12 months after the first data collection to investigate and record the development of new incidents within a period of a year and to enable characterisation of the nature and the evolving course of PRMDs.DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, no other longitudinal studies on risk factors for PRMDs among music students have been conducted so far. Therefore, this study can be considered as an opportunity to begin filling the gaps within current research in this field and to generate new knowledge within musical contexts in education and employment.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03622190), registration date 09/08/2018.
Highlights
The achievement and improvement of skills in musical techniques to reach the highest levels of performance may expose music students to a wide range of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs)
Professional musicians are exposed chronically to large amounts of continuous and repeated physical movements and are vulnerable to developing musculoskeletal conditions and symptoms [4,5,6] that may affect the manner in which, and the extent to which music can be practised and performed [6, 7]. This phenomenon was described by Zaza et al [8] as playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) and defined as “any pain, weakness, numbness, tingling or other symptoms that interfere with the ability to play your instrument at the level you are accustomed to”
The research investigation The web-based questionnaire includes different research measures (See Additional file 1 and Fig. 2), which have been selected based on a thorough critical review of published research studies and systematic reviews among the performing arts literature, and correspond to possible risk factors associated with the development of PRMDs
Summary
Design This longitudinal study is to be conducted in order to obtain self-reported data from a large population of music students of different European university schools of music at baseline, and at 6 months and 12 months follow-up. – Cohort 1: music students (both pre-college and university-level) who have not experienced PRMDs and/or other painful musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in the last 12 months. It aims to facilitate optimised sample size for multivariate analysis, to enable subgroups’ analysis and to develop predictive models of risk factors influencing the severity and extent of existing PRMDs. The research investigation The web-based questionnaire includes different research measures (See Additional file 1 and Fig. 2), which have been selected based on a thorough critical review of published research studies and systematic reviews among the performing arts literature, and correspond to possible risk factors associated with the development of PRMDs. Table 1 describes the primary and secondary outcomes, whereas Table 2 describes the potential risk factors that may be associated with the outcomes. – Participants with a current painful MSK condition (up to one month) will be asked to answer further questions to describe their current painful MSK condition; the question according to Zaza et al [8] to identify a PRMD; the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to report the intensity of their MSK condition; the Performing Arts Section of the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Outcome Measure (PAS –Quick DASH) [20] and the Pain Disability Index (PDI) [21,22,23] to assess their disability; the 2-item short form of the Pain Selfefficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ-2) [24] to assess their self-efficacy; the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) [25] for the assessment of MSK pain in the last 12 months. – Participants without any current painful MSK condition but a positive history of it in the last 12 months
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