Preventing Injuries for Instrumental Musicians
Blogs, / By Shi Qi Yap
Similar to professional athletes, musicians perform for the public and they could lose their job if they suffer some debilitating condition which affects their ability to perform on their instruments.
Thus, preventing injury for instrumental musicians should be high on the list of priorities for anyone planning to go to music school or who is already there.
In this article, we are going to tell you about how instrumental musicians can prevent injuries and pain as a result of playing their instruments.
What are the Common Instrumental Injuries?
Repeated movement, excessive stress, incorrect posture, non-ergonomic technique and insufficient rest can cause different overuse and chronic injuries. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist and finger pain, shoulder tendinitis, bursitis and so on.
What instrumentalists should do to minimize the risk of injuries?
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Always Warm Up
Warming up carefully is one of the ways for instrumentalists to minimize the risk of hurting themselves while practicing.
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Take Breaks and Relax
Take longer breaks every hour and shorter breaks every few minutes. Find opportunities to relax a hand, arm, or embouchure during performance to restore circulation.
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Check Out Your Instruments
Is your instrument set up optimally for you to be able to play without putting too much stress on hands or other joints?
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Evaluate Your Skills and Technique
Avoid rigid, tense positions, use large muscle groups whenever possible, reduce force, and keep joints in the middle of their range of motion.
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Pay Attention to Your Body and Posture
Maintaining in an awkward posture creates muscle imbalance, stress and tension to your joint. This can lead to various pains and weakness in your body. Pain is a signal that your body trying to tell you something is wrong, so listen to your body, stop playing and take a break when it hurts.
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Get Medical Attention
Never delay in seeing doctor. Neglection of the pains and problems can further cause disability, and even lead to the end of your careers. A few months of rest is much better than suffering a permanent, career-ending injury.
We have posted a short video ‘How to prevent instrumental injuries‘ on our instagram and youtube. Watch this!
If you have any more questions or would like our physiotherapists to assess or treat your back pain, feel free to drop us a question, talk to us, or fill in the form below. Do check out our Instagram page too.
Yap Shi Qi
Rehab Therapist
Shi Qi graduated with Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons), awarded by Anglia Ruskin University, UK. Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP®). She practiced as a physiotherapist in a Malaysian private physiotherapy center with a special interest in musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation. Her previous experience inspired her to combine active approach along with patients’ education to optimize the rehabilitation outcome in sports-related injuries and postural pain.
In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, singing, and playing piano.