As musicians, we are required to carry out repetitive complex movements in isolation for hours every day. With intense schedules, irregular working hours and inconsistent routines being common in the industry - life as a professional musician places high physical demands on the body. Without proper preventative care, musicians’ run the risk of developing potentially career-ending injuries. In fact, through a study conducted by the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine it was revealed, “up to 80% of professional musicians experience dysfunction and pain within their musculoskeletal system as a consequence of playing their instrument” (Steinmetz, Möller, Seidel and Rigotti, 2012). During my undergraduate studies I suffered intense pain and tension in my abdomen whilst playing, consequently it became my motivation to find a way to work through this issue in a healthy manner. After seeking out many different forms of treatment, I came across yoga which introduced me to a healthier approach towards my recovery. This brings me to the core question my research aims to answer: what body parts are most commonly affected by pain/tension/discomfort in brass playing, and how effective is yoga as a form of injury prevention?
This exposition is divided into four chapters. The first chapter outlines my personal history with pain and tension in my playing to provide context and explain the motivation behind this research. The second chapter presents an introduction to the practice of yoga. The rich spiritual history is explored through a summary of Patanjali’s ‘Yoga Sutras’, the physiological benefits of standard yoga poses are revealed and details of my personal eight week journey of recovery through yoga are shared in my practice diary. Chapter 3 focuses on the issue of injury in the brass profession. An existing case study on the prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in brass musicians is analyzed and two trombonists who are specialists in the field of injury prevention are interviewed. The final chapter displays the results of the case study I developed to determine the body parts most commonly affected by pain/tension/discomfort, and the effectiveness of regular yoga practice at reducing these symptoms.
Methodology
Addressing the topic of injury prevention in the music profession requires a pragmatic approach due the tangible consequences of the issue. Therefore, a combination of a case study, interviews, self-experimentation, and reviewing existing literature was used. The case study included a mixture of seven collegiate and graduate level brass musicians who implemented yoga into their practice routine daily over the course of two weeks. The participants completed three surveys and two practice diaries which monitored the success of yoga at reducing pain and tension in their practice.
Through a culmination and analysis of the data these methods present, a conclusion is formed in response to the question: what are the areas most affected by pain/tension/discomfort in brass playing, and how effective is yoga as a form of injury prevention?