Injury prevention education provided during formal drum kit training is associated with lower frequency reporting of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between receiving ergonomics/injury prevention education (PrevEd) during formal drum kit training and drummers’ histories of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) and their engagement in PRMD prevention behaviours. It also explored what they were taught with respect to PrevEd. A mixed-methods analysis of a subset of previously collected survey data (N = 831) revealed that while 81 per cent of the respondents had completed formal training, only 42 per cent had received PrevEd from their instructors. Respondents who had not received PrevEd were nearly twice as likely to report both lifetime and seven-day histories of PRMD than those who had. They also engaged in warm-ups, cool-downs and exercise significantly less often. Overall, the findings suggest that including PrevEd within drum kit curricula, while reinforcing the importance of regular engagement in optimal PRMD prevention behaviours, warrants further consideration as a primary PRMD prevention strategy.