When Passion Leads to Pain: Compression Injuries in Musicians
Pleasure, fun, relaxation, and emotions are the many benefits music brings to listeners, but the talented professionals who spend hours perfecting their craft during practice and live performances often pay a cost. Compression injuries happen from nerve entrapment that may occur from a combination of poor posture, prolonged practice, and repetitive strain in musicians. A few examples include carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, and pronator teres syndrome.
According to a 2003 review by Richard Lederman for Muscle Nerve, as many as 64% of the 1353 evaluated instrumentalists had musculoskeletal disorders, and 20% had peripheral nerve problems. Without proper prevention or treatment, it can reduce performance ability like speed and endurance and foster long-term damage like scar tissue. The School of Music at the University of Nevada stated that 76% of orchestra musicians have suffered, or will suffer, some debilitating condition.
Those who provide so much joy in their talent shouldn’t live in pain. That’s why learning about compression injury causes and symptoms, how to prevent them, and steps to recovery can help musical talent thrive in peace.
What Are Common Compression Injuries in Musicians?
There are many compression injuries to think about for musicians. Here are some of them:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Musicians may experience numbness and tingling in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger. This common overuse injury happens due to awkward wrist positions during repetitive hand motions. As a result, the median nerve may become compressed.
While any musician can suffer from this condition, it often affects pianists and guitarists. A bassist playing low may also be using a position that strains the area.
Pronator Teres Syndrome
When playing instruments like the violin or piano, a musician may have prolonged and repetitive forearm rotation. As a result, numbness, tingling, and aching in the forearm, middle finger, index finger, or thumb may show up, especially when playing fast, complex passages. Those who play at a high intensity or start using new techniques may trigger the condition.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Compression often happens where the shoulder, neck, and chest meet. It’s a common condition among violinists and other string players. According to a 2018 study by Adam et al. for Diagnostics (Basel), as many as 69% of the evaluated musicians had this type of compression.
The condition usually develops due to arm maneuvers, such as reaching and bowing, while sustaining awkward positions with tightened muscles. Over time, the musicians may lose dexterity in the fingers, along with neck and shoulder pain.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
This condition happens in the elbow due to sustained bending that compresses the ulnar nerve. Tingling and numbness may appear in the small and ring fingers along with weakness. The ulnar nerve is particularly vulnerable since it is the largest unprotected nerve in the body, with little muscle or other soft tissue around it.
Guyon’s Canal Syndrome
In this case, the ulnar nerve compression happens at the wrist. One may experience decreased sensation on the palm side of the ring finger and little finger. Doing wide stretches in pianos and repeated bow movements on string instruments can trigger pain.
Wartenberg Syndrome
Due to awkward hand positioning or abruptly increasing practice time, nerve entrapment usually happens where the radial nerve passes between the brachioradialis and extensor carpi radialis longus tendons in the forearm. As a result, aching, tingling, and numbness may spring up in the hand, wrist, or thumb.
That pain may be in the back of the hand. The condition doesn’t cause a decline in motor strength, unlike carpal tunnel, as it only creates sensory issues.
What Can Prevent These Musicians’ Health Risks?
Preventing musician injuries related to nerve compression can start with proper ergonomics that prevent hunching over. In other words, musicians should be more cautious of how they position their instruments when practicing or playing live. The proper chair height and music stand should be adjusted so they can always maintain a neutral posture.
Proactive care with regular exercises like nerve glides can help manage core strength and improve posture over time. There are different nerve glides that target various nervous systems. For example, the median nerve glide helps provide carpal tunnel relief, and the ulnar nerve glide helps prevent elbow/pinky finger numbness.
Musicians should also remember to take regular breaks every 20 minutes and keep their hands warm since cold muscles are easier to injure.
How Can One Recover After a Diagnosis?
In some cases, musician injury recovery may involve medication to reduce inflammation. However, surgical intervention may be needed to release nerve pressure. Luckily, you can get expert care for spinal conditions through advanced minimally invasive techniques.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Compression Damage?
Compression damage is a fracture or break in your vertebrae. Also known as a compression fracture, it can cause your vertebrae, which consist of several bones in your back, to collapse.
The condition may also cause pieces of bone to press on your spinal cord or nerves. One of the common causes is osteoporosis, which is a condition that causes bone loss and easy fractures. Signs of this condition include decreased height, worsening back pain, stooping over, as well as numbing, tingling, and weak muscles.
What Is the Most Common Injury in Musicians?
The most common injury among musicians is tendinitis. This happens as musicians overuse their hands, which can create pain and swelling. Some people may also experience reduced dexterity. However, using proper techniques, strengthening exercises, and regular breaks can help prevent the condition. In order to treat it, braces may be necessary.
Compression Injuries Are Preventable in Musicians
Musicians are similar to athletes in that they often overwork their limbs in order to create magic. From violinists who create beautiful music with string instruments to famous pianists who plug away at keys to create classical music that spans the test of time, these musicians often put their bodies on the line to create beautiful art.
However, creating music shouldn’t involve ongoing pain that may become debilitating over time due to compression injuries. With certain preventative measures, such as ergonomic practices like using proper stand and chair height, stretching exercises, taking breaks, and using correct form when playing, professional and amateur musicians can avoid debilitating conditions that can affect their career longevity and overall health.
