A high prevalence of cumulative trauma disorders in Iranian instrumentalists

Abstract

BackgroundCumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) are common in musicians and their prevalence has been the subject of a number of studies in most western countries. Such studies are scarce in developing countries despite the possibility that CTDs may have a different prevalence in these countries, especially when considering traditional musical instruments and different methods of playing. Although not formally studied before, according to our experience the prevalence of CTDs seemed to be high among Iranian instrumentalists.We proposed this study to determine the prevalence of CTDs in amateur music students playing one of the two traditional Iranian instruments: Daf and Setar.MethodsIn a prospective cross sectional study, we interviewed and examined the students of three music training centers in Iran. Seventy eight instrumentalists, who were playing Daf or Setar and twelve students who had not started playing yet were regarded as case and control groups respectively. Some of them also underwent electrodiagnostic studies.ResultsForty-seven percent (17 of 36) of the Setar players and 57% (24 of 42) of the Daf players and fifty-three percent (41 of 78) of the instrumentalists as a whole had CTDs. None of them had carpal tunnel syndrome.ConclusionsOur study revealed that the prevalence of CTDs in Iranian instrumentalists was unusually high. In addition to age, other variables may be contributory. This needs to be further studied.

Injuries and injury risk factors among members of the United States Army band

“…In previous studies, musicians have reported musculoskeletal symptoms at multiple anatomic sites. Most studies report the fingers, hands, and wrist as the region with the highest symptoms prevalence ranging from 13 to 63% of those sampled [Hochberg et al, 1983;Caldron et al, 1986;Fry, 1986Fry, , 1987Revak, 1989;Larsson et al, 1993;DeSmet et al, 1998;Blackie et al, 1999;Shields and Dockrell, 2000;Pak and Chesky, 2001;Sadeghi et al, 2004]. Other affected areas include the neck, shoulders, arms, and back [Caldron et al, 1986;Fry, 1986Fry, , 1987Hiner et al, 1987;Middlestadt and Fishbein, 1989;Revak, 1989;Larsson et al, 1993;Fjellman-Wiklund and Sundelin, 1998;Blackie et al, 1999;Shields and Dockrell, 2000;Ackerman and Adams, 2003].…”

The high prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) and its associated factors in amateur musicians playing in student orchestras: A cross-sectional study

“…Prevalences of up to 80% have been reported among amateur musicians. [ 8 – 12 ] These numbers seem to outline the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in the open population, for example in the Netherlands a year prevalence of 53.4% is reported in a survey in the open population. [ 13 ] However, no study directly comparing prevalences has been performed to our knowledge.…”

“…[ 2 , 14 , 15 ] Female gender has been associated with a higher prevalence of PRMDs among amateur musicians. [ 2 , 11 , 12 ] Playing load is another confirmed risk factor among amateur musicians. [ 8 , 9 , 11 ] A recent cohort study reported a nearly threefold increase in prevalence following a sudden increase in playing time.…”

A systematic review of prevalence and risk factors associated with playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in pianists

“…These high physical loads predispose elite-level pianists to musculoskeletal disorders, as reflected by research which has shown piano to be associated with high rates of upper-extremity injuries in university-level performers [5]. Numerous terms have been used to describe musicians' musculoskeletal disorders, including 'overuse syndrome' [6][7][8], 'repetitive strain injury' [9,10] and 'cumulative trauma disorder' [11][12][13]. Lack of consensus regarding terminology has led to confusion in this field [14][15][16].…”