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Maladies in Musicians

 
 

Copyright 2024, Mark Alan Wade

Primary Author: Liu, S.
Journal Title: Southern Journal of Medicine
Date Published: Jul-02
Language: English
Category: Multiple Medical Disorders
Key Words: medical problem musician instrument
Full Citation: Liu, Steven, and Gregory Hayden. Maladies in Musicians. Southern Journal of Medicine 95, no. 7 (July 2002): 727-734.
Full Abstract: The most common types of musicians' injuries involve the overuse of muscles in a repetitive fashion, prolonged weight bearing of the instrument in unnatural positions, dermatologic irritation, peripheral neuropathies, focal dystonias and otolarynologic disorders. Trumpet players are no exception. Trumpet players with nickel allergies will react to their mouthpieces with eczema symptoms in the mouthpiece area of the lips. Gold or plastic mouthpieces are a common solution. Brass players are also predisposed to lip muscle injury due to the high stress of playing high and loud for extended periods. Rupturing of the orbicularis oris (Satchmo's Syndrome) is an example of this that is most prevalent among trumpet players because of the high pressures needed to play the instrument. Neurological disorders may also result from trumpet playing. These include transient ischemic attacks, embolization, and spontaneous cervicothoracic epidural hematoma-all due to the high internal pressures of playing brass instruments. Otolaryngologic disorders of trumpet players include: stress velopharyngeal incompetence (leaking of air through the nose) and laryngoceles.