Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Overuse Syndromes

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Performing Arts Medicine in Clinical Practice

  • 761 Accesses

Abstract

Elite musicians may practise at and play their instrument for some 8 h a day, year in, year out. By athletic standards, this would be anticipated to place strain on those parts of the musculoskeletal system used, in the case of musicians mainly in the arms. Moreover, whilst instruments come in standard pre-determined size; musicians are of varying shape and size. It follows that even with adequate training in technique and sometimes the use of ergonomic aids attached to the instrument, exceptional strain can be placed on instrumentalists who are not suited to their instrument anatomically, compared to those that are. Overuse injury is accepted in sport [1] and ‘the over-training syndrome’ [2] has been intermittently fashionable. It would stretch credibility if musicians were not to be susceptible to such problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Sperryn PN. Overuse injury in sport. Br Med J. 1994;308:1430–2.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Budgett R. The over-training syndrome. Br Med J. 1994;309:465–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Charness ME. Unique upper extremity disorders of musicians. In: Millender LH, Louis DS, Simmons BP, editors. Occupational disorders of the upper extremity. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1992. p. 227–52.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ireland DCR. The Australian experience with cumulative trauma disorders. In: Millender LH, Louis DS, Simmons BP, editors. Occupational disorders of the upper extremity. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1992. p. 79–88.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Great Britain and Ireland Post Office. Departmental Committee on Telegraphists cramp report. London: HMSO; 1911.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dennett X, Fry HJH. Overuse syndrome: a muscle biopsy study. Lancet. 1988;331:905–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kellgren JH. Observations on referred pain arising from muscle. Clin Sci. 1938;3:175–90.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hocking B. Epidemiological aspects of ‘repetitive strain injury’ in Telecom Australia. Med J Aust. 1987;147:218–22.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. English C, Bird HA. Rheumatological disorders. In: Cox RAF, Edwards FC, Palmer K, editors. Fitness for work: the medical aspects. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2000. p. 274–88.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fry HJH. Overuse syndrome in musicians – 100 years ago, an historical review. Med J Aust. 1986;145:620–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Poore GV. Clinical lecture on certain conditions of the hand and arm which interfere with the performance of professional acts, especially piano playing. Br Med J. 1887;1:441–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Bird HA, Hill J. Repetitive strain disorder: towards diagnostic criteria. Ann Rheum Dis. 1992;51:974–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Harrington JM, Carter JT, Birrell L, Gompertz D. Surveillance case definitions for work related upper limb pain syndromes. Occup Environ Med. 1998;55:264–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Lederman RJ, Calabrese LH. Overuse syndromes in instrumentalists. Med Probl Perform Art. 1986;1:7–11.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Newmark J, Hochberg FH. “Doctor, it hurts when I play”: painful disorders among instrumental musicians. Med Probl Perform Art. 1987;2:93–8.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Fry HJH. Overuse syndrome in musicians. Prevention and management. Lancet. 1986;328:728–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Dennett X, Fry HJH. Overuse syndrome: a muscle biopsy study. Lancet. 1988;1:905–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Knishkowy B, Lederman RJ. Instrumental musicians with upper extremity disorders: a follow-up study. Med Probl Perform Art. 1986;1:85–9.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lederman RJ. Thoracic outlet syndromes. Review of the controversies and a report of 17 instrumental musicians. Med Probl Perform Art. 1987;2:87–92.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Gilliat RW, Le Quesne PM, Logue V, Sumner AJ. Wasting of the hand associated with a cervical rib or band. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1970;33:615–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Charness ME, Barbaro NM, Olney RK, Parry GJ. Occupational cubital tunnel syndrome in instrumental musicians. Neurology. 1987;37(3 suppl 1):115.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Renstrom PAFH. An introduction to chronic overuse injuries. In: Harries M, Williams C, Stanish WD, Micheli LJ, editors. Oxford textbook of sports medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1994. p. 531–6.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Sjodin B, Svedhenhag J. Assessment of endurance capacity. In: Harries M, Williams C, Stanish WD, Micheli LJ, editors. Oxford textbook of sports medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1994. p. 172–9.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ivy JL, Withers RT, Van Handel PJ, Elger DH, Costill DL. Muscle respiratory capacity and fiber type as determinants of the lactate threshold. J Appl Physiol. 1980;48:523–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Essén B, Jansson E, Henriksson J, Taylor AW, Saltin B. Metabolic characteristics of fibre types in human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiol Scand. 1975;95:153–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Wainapel SF, Cole JL. The not-so-magic flute: two cases of distal ulnar nerve entrapment. Med Probl Perform Art. 1988;3:63–5.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Shefner JM, Buchthal F, Krarup C. Slowly conducting myelinated fibers in peripheral neuropathy. Muscle Nerve. 1991;14:534–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Swift TR, Nichols FT. The droopy shoulder syndrome. Neurology. 1984;34:212–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vincent NE. Compartment syndromes. In: Harries M, Williams C, Stanish WD, Micheli LJ, editors. Oxford textbook of sports medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1994. p. 564–8.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Goldie BS, Jones NF, Jupiter JB. Recurrent compartment syndrome and Volkmann contracture associated with chronic osteomyelitis of the ulnar. J Bone Jointt Surg Am. 1990;72:131–3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Hastings H, Misamore G. Compartment syndrome resulting from intravenous regional anaesthesia. J Hand Surg. 1987;12:559–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Shall J, Cohn BT, Froimson AI. Acute compartment syndrome of the forearm in association with fracture at the distal end of the radius. Report of two cases. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1986;68:1451–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Marsden CD, Sheehy MP. Writer’s cramp. Trends Neurosci. 1990;13:148–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Lederman RJ. Neurological problems of performing arts. In: Satalogg RT, Brandfonbrener AG, Lederman RJ, editors. Textbook of performing arts medicine. New York: Raven; 1991. p. 171.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Cohen LG, Hallet M. Hand cramps: clinical features and electromyographic patterns in a focal dystonia. Neurology. 1988;38:1005.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Hughes M, McLellan DL. Increased co-activation of the upper limb muscles in writer’s cramp. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1985;48:782–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Graffman G. Doctor, can you lend an ear? Med Probl Perform Art. 1986;1:3–6.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University College London, London, UK

    Howard A. Bird

Authors
  1. Howard A. Bird
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bird, H.A. (2016). Overuse Syndromes. In: Performing Arts Medicine in Clinical Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12427-8_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12427-8_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-12426-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-12427-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation