Musician’s Syndrome

A study of eight large orchestras on three continents has revealed that over 50 percent of musicians suffer from what has been called musician’s syndrome. The ailment consists of severe pain in the muscles and joints of the arms of stringed-instrument players and in the soft palate or the throat muscles of those who play wind instruments. The major symptom is pain that can be so intense as to wake the musician at night. Other symptoms include heaviness, stiffness, weakness or pinpricks in the arms. The syndrome causes a substantial loss of agility, speed, and precision, leading to a degree of mental depression. According to the Italian medical journal Doctor, the cure lies in reducing the effort required to use the instrument by means of a well-coordinated playing technique