Dystonia and pre/post-performance body maintenance among high-speed stringed instrument players: A pilot study

Abstract

There are likely numerous professional musicians who have not been diagnosed with Focal task specific dystonia, but nonetheless experience hand and muscle tension accompanied by a loss of motor control during performance. As such, it is important to implement preventative measures before performance begins to suffer. The proportion of all musicians who fall into this category is unclear. This study aims to investigate the proportion of musicians who suffer from dystonia and/or have motor difficulties during performance. This study also aims to investigate the prevalence of maintenance efforts by professional musicians after rehearsal practice.76 professional high-speed stringed instrument players and 70 non-musicians with no performance experience were included in a study of dystonia and pre/post-performance body maintenance. Musicians experienced significantly more dystonia compared to non-musicians. Performers who implemented post-practice and post-performance body maintenance experienced less dystonia than those who did not. These results suggest that soft tissue maintenance of the hands and upper extremities following musical performance serve as a preventative measure for Focal Task-Specific Dystonia.