The presence of overuse syndrome in professional musicians.

Objective: The overuse syndrome is of chronic character, due to repetitive movements and muscular drowsiness. Overuse and false technique, incorrect posture, stress and inadequate rest contribute to injuries that can cause the end of musicians careers. The goal was to determine the existence of overuse symptoms in professional musicians. Methods: Participants were 50 professional classical musicians of the Serbian National Theater symphonic orchestra in Novi Sad. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Serbia. Participants completed a standard questionnaire, by which we determined the presence of symptoms of overuse syndrome. Results: Out of the 50 musicians surveyed, 30 (60%) are male and 20 (40%) female. The majority of respondents were in the fourth decade of their lives. Most respondents 43 (86%) experienced some sort of discomfort during their career, while the back was the most common localization of symptoms 39 (90%). The most common symptom for all musicians was pain. More than half of respondents 27 (54%) sought some kind of help, and only 2 (7%) of respondents who applied for help did not have a change of condition. Conclusion: Overuse syndrome occurs in most professional musicians 43 (80%) in the fourth decade of life. The primary symptom is pain and the most common localization of the discomforts is back. Musicians who are playing wind instruments have the most problems with neck 5 (62.5%). The effectiveness of therapy is reported in 25 (93%) cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]