Prevalence and Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Pain in Keyboard Musicians: A Systematic Review

Objective

To identify the prevalence and risk factors for musculoskeletal pain in keyboard musicians.

Design

Systematic review

Methods

A systematic review was conducted according to the MOOSE recommendations and it was registered with the PROSPERO database under registration number CRD42016042913. We included observational studies through the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale (RILM), Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals (RIPM), Scielo, and Google Scholar, with combinations of the keywords pianists, keyboard players, musculoskeletal pain, muscular disease, tendinitis, tendinopathy, observational, case-control, prevalence, and risk factors. Data from population, information about pain, and risk factors were extracted from studies that fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The methodological quality of the studies was classified through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The risk of bias and quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system.

Results

Twelve articles (case-controls) were included for the qualitative synthesis. The quality of the studies was classified as fair (n = 6) and good (n = 6). Prevalence was observed between 25.8% and 77.0% of musculoskeletal pain among keyboard musicians, with a higher prevalence in wrists and hands (13.8%-65.8%), neck (9.8%-64.2%), and shoulders (9.8%-59.8%). The only consistent risk factor found in the 4 studies was being female, with OR ranging from 1.05-1.90. Age greater than 18 years; weekly training more than 20 hours; training for more than 60 minutes without a rest break; not having a habit of practicing sports; and playing despite the pain were also described as risks factors for musculoskeletal pain. It was not possible to perform the meta-analysis due to the heterogeneity of the studies.

Conclusion

Keyboard musicians presented a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, especially in the upper extremity regions of the body. Female, ageing, playing behaviors, and sedentary lifestyle showed an increased likelihood to report musculoskeletal pain.

Level of Evidence

II