When people think of physically demanding jobs, they most commonly think of industries like construction, plumbing, or electrical. However, professional musicians must endure tremendous amounts of physical strength in order to hone their craft.
In particular, pianists and string musicians are susceptible to a wide variety of tendinitis, nervous, and postural disorders due to the long hours spent in specific positions. Overall, 50-76% of professional musicians will experience a musculoskeletal injury, 70% will experience some sort of instrument-related injury, and 33% will find themselves unable to play for some amount of time over the course of their career. Because of this, it is essential to learn how to stay strong and flexible before injuries become a problem.
Symptoms can include: pain at a single site that stops and starts with playing; pain at multiple sites that persists, accompanied with loss of coordination; weakness, stiffness, or cramping; neck/back pain; and carpal and/or cubital tunnel, accompanied by numbness and tingling.
In developing her Core Program, Peggy Brill realized that it could be adapted to help musicians play longer, with decreased risk of injury. In less than 10 minutes a day, physical therapy can help teach you how to make your body work better and keep you pain free.
If you are a recreational or professional musician, contact the team at Brill Physical Therapy to help get your best body. Playing in pain doesn’t have to be a fact of life.
