None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Research is now consistently demonstrating extremely high rates of pain and injury in instrumental musicians, with over 80% of instrumentalists estimated to experience pain or an injury during their career. Studies have also demonstrated that fatigue is likely to be a foundational risk factor for a range of conditions experienced by musicians. In sport, fatigue management programs have been shown to effectively prevent injuries, with similar programs predicted to have similar benefits for musicians. However, even though sport and music performance both require highly refined, elite physical performance, key differences in physical demands, training and performance schedules, and resource availability between sport and performing arts necessitate a specialised approach to fatigue management in musicians. The aim of this research project is to trial a fatigue self-management tool to enable musicians and teachers to distinguish between normal short-term fatigue and potentially dangerous physical and/or psychological overload. This tool has been developed based on a consensus-generating process involving global experts in Musicians Medicine.
Interventions
Professional or university instrumental musicians will enter the following data or perform the following tests daily or, at a minimum, bi-weekly (unless otherwise indicated) over an active sampling period of 6-months:
1) Session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) - duration and intensity of the participant's day of instrumental music practice/rehearsal/performance
2) Visual analogue scales - ratings of physical and psychological stress
3) Pain or injury incidence - initially a yes / no question
Professional or university instrumental musicians will enter the following data or perform the following tests daily or, at a minimum, bi-weekly (unless otherwise indicated) over an active sampling period of 6-months: 1) Session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) - duration and intensity of the participant's day of instrumental music practice/rehearsal/performance 2) Visual analogue scales - ratings of physical and psychological stress 3) Pain or injury incidence - initially a yes / no question, with a 'yes' response prompting the participant to complete the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians 4) Self-rated musical performance quality - visual analogue scale 5) Recognition reaction time test - psychomotor performance 6) Grip strength test - physical performance (*this test to be performed weekly*) Daily inputs into the monitoring tool have been designed to take 1-2 minutes for participants to complete, and will require participants to access an online form containing items 1-5 above. Weekly grip strength tests will be performed at the location of regular rehearsals or performances. Adherence to monitoring tool inputs and grip strength test will be monitored by online entry and grip strongly test attendance logs, respectively. Participants will receive weekly study emails containing 1) information relevant to musicians’ health and wellbeing delivered in a standardised order; and 2) personalised encouragement based on individual participation rates and patterns.
Sponsors
Dr. J. Matt McCrary
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
University or professional instrumental musicians (demonstrated expertise)
Exclusion criteria
Presence of a playing-related musculoskeletal disorder at study registration
Outcome results
None listed