Analysis of hand-arm vibration syndrome in drummers

Abstract

Around the world there are a great number of musical bands, therefore the number of professional drummers is also high. Drums are usually played by striking with the hand, or with one or two sticks, therefore professional drummers need to have a fitness levels similar to those of top athletes. Even though that the drum kit is one of the more physically demanding instruments, as it uses all the limbs, particularly the hand-arm system, some injuries can appear in the musicians. In fact, due to continuous vibrations and repetitive motions, drummers are subjected to risk factors that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The European Directive 2002/44/EC on the minimum health and safety requirements, regarding worker exposure to risks from physical agents (e.g. vibration), limit the exposure to vibrations. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of exposure to hand-arm vibrations (HAV) in six drummers, three of them have formal Musical Training (MT) and the other three do not have any musical Training (NMT). All drummers were evaluated while playing drum and the vibrations were measured in both hands, but also in both drumsticks. In the case of drumsticks the results indicate that impacts and transient vibrations lead to a higher musculoskeletal injuries, particularly in the case of the musicians without MT. The data obtained in the present study can be an improvement in the design of new tools for the drummers in order to reduce the value of the HAV transmitted and, consequently decrease the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in the musicians.