Musculoskeletal Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
This study is a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effect of an exercise program designed specifically for orchestral musicians on performance-related musculoskeletal problems (PRMPs). Professional and conservatory-level orchestral musicians will be recruited. Half of the subjects will participate in an 11-week home exercise program and attend three group exercise sessions and an educational presentation on injury prevention, while the other half of the subjects will receive no intervention, and continue their usual activities.
Interventions
OTHERExercise program and education
The exercise program comprises warm-ups, exercises and cool-downs and aims to improve recruitment, strength and endurance of postural muscle groups that are key to the work of a musician. Basic activation exercises progress to dynamic and resisted exercises as well as functional musical movements. There is a series of six exercises of increasing difficulty for each of the following bodily regions: hips, back, neck, shoulders and abdominals. Topics to be discussed in the educational presentation and e-mails include healthy practice habits, activity dosage, the importance of physical activity, how the body adapts to workload and physical stressors, and instructions pertaining to the exercise program.
Sponsors
Laval University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* professional or freelance orchestral musician, or tertiary-level full-time music student majoring in an orchestral instrument * able to commit to performing exercises 2 times per week over an 11-week period * medical condition permitting participation in an exercise program (ie. no serious heart or lung condition that may be exacerbated by physical exertion)
Exclusion criteria
* presence of musculoskeletal injuries definitively non-related to musical practice or performance * fewer than 15 hours per week playing their instrument * corticosteroid infiltration in the 6 weeks preceding recruitment * prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs or neurontin in the 3 weeks preceding recruitment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for professional orchestra Musicians (MPIIQM) | Baseline-11 weeks | A biopsychosocial self-report questionnaire used to obtain demographic and occupational information and to document the intensity and impact of performance-related musculoskeletal pain/problems |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) | Baseline-11 weeks | Self-report questionnaire on pain/symptom prevalence in the different regions of the body |
| Global Rating of Change | 11 weeks | Questionnaire designed to quantify participants' perceived improvement or deterioration over the course of the study |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed