Musculoskeletal pain among Finnish orchestra musicians versus core workforce

Professional musicians show a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, but information is limited about prevalence of pain compared to the general populations.

Our cross-sectional epidemiological study compared the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain between professional orchestra musicians and the working population in Finland.

Musicians with a permanent contract with all domestic professional symphony and philharmonic orchestras and a population sample of the workforce in Finland completed questionnaires including the same questions on musculoskeletal pain and on various other issues. Cross-sectional data from two population-based and two orchestra-musician studies were analysed by logistic regression model adjusting for confounding factors.

In 2002, 345 musicians completed questionnaires (40% response rate), and in 2010, 195 (23%). The Health 2000 study sample comprised 5956 employed participants and in 2011, 5942. Musicians reported, in 2002 and in 2010, back pain during the past 30 days more often than did controls, 39% versus 27%, adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval, CI) 1.5 (1.2-1.9); shoulder pain, 21% versus 9%, 2.6 (1.9-2.5); elbow pain, 14% versus 5%, 2.9 (2.0-4.2); wrist pain 14% versus 7%, 2.2 (1.5-3.1); and finger pain 13% versus 9%, 2.8 (2.0-3.9). Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain increased with age in controls but not in musicians.

Professional orchestra musicians reported more pain in the back and upper extremity than other working people. Future research should focus on explaining differences in the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders between musicians and the general population.