The prevalence of chronic pain in orchestra musicians

Background: The study investigated the incidence of chronic pain as well as causes and mechanisms of pain chronification in orchestra musicians. Aims: Chronic pain is a serious problem in the study group due to very specific playing techniques and body positions while playing, with a high impact on professional and private life. Methods: 8,645 professional musicians from 132 German cultural orchestras were contacted and asked about chronic pain via an online questionnaire. The study group comprised orchestra musicians suffering from pain. The control group consisted of musicians playing the same type of instruments (same working conditions) who reported to be free of pain. Results: The response rate was 8.6% (740 musicians). 66.2% (n=490) out of 740 musicians who completed the questionnaire reported chronic pain. The most frequently reported localizations of pain were the body parts which are mostly involved in instrumental playing such as back (70%), shoulders (67.8%), neck (64.1%), hands and wrists (39.8%). 27.4% of the investigated musicians suffered from pain with a high degree of impairment. Conclusions: These results appear conclusive and indicate a need to continue research into chronic pain in musicians.