Specific Medical Conditions and Treatment
If you tell a musician not to play for a long period of time... do you think they'll actually do it?
Yes, but...
*Strings
There are 3 common categories of medical problems that arise from playing instruments. What are they?
Musculoskeletal pain (including tendinitis)
Nerve entrapments
Focal dystonias (occupational cramps)
What is most important in assessing and treating patients?
Understanding patients' medical history, not just musical history.
How do performing arts practitioners really understand what is going on with an injured musician?
Performing arts practitioners watch the patients playing, ask about how often they practice, for how long, type of repertoire...
but they can always use more help...
When should music educators instill preventative strategies in their students?
No exact evidence to back this up, but early stages
Why should research continue?
If there is sound research, then all music educators will be better trained and everyone will be of the same mindset... hopefully
What are the different risk factors?
Instrument-specific: posture, embouchure, etc.
Individual-specific: genetics, finger length, joint mobility, etc.
What is the meaning of focal dystonia? What makes it so serious?
Focal means "localized" and dystonia means "abnormal muscle tone"
This is a serious condition because there is not a known cause or a cure.
Pianist example.
Some treatments are botox shots in the affected area (would need to be repeated every few months since it wears off), other medications that I can't pronounce can also have positive affect, even though there is no cure
How can we, as music educators, help our students prevent some of these conditions from happening?
Utilizing a warm up, cool down, stretching... physically and emotionally.
BALANCE
As a music teacher, what is the best thing you can do in regard to instructing your students?
Listen
Tell them to listen to their own body, not everything is one size fits all
After gaining more understanding of some medical risks that could affect your students now or in the future, there are also current health risks in the world.
How will you encourage your students to utilize proper posture/technique/habits from a virtual or hybrid learning model?
Discuss in your Breakout Rooms