Effect of an Exercise Program Designed for Orchestral Musicians

Laval University30 enrolled

Overview

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.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Musculoskeletal Disorder

Interventions

Exercise program and educationOTHER

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.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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

Locations (1)

CIRRIS

Québec, Quebec, Canada

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for professional orchestra Musicians (MPIIQM)

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

Time frame: Baseline-11 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ)

Self-report questionnaire on pain/symptom prevalence in the different regions of the body

Time frame: Baseline-11 weeks

Global Rating of Change

Questionnaire designed to quantify participants' perceived improvement or deterioration over the course of the study

Time frame: 11 weeks

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.