A symphony of maladies

Classical musicians have never been considered a daredevil bunch, and playing classical music is one of life’s more genteel pastimes. Yet the perils of the seemingly innocuous activities of the orchestra have long been a closely guarded secret. Fearful of being exposed as weak and jeopardising their place in the orchestra—or worse, their livelihood—musicians often suffer in silence rather than advertise their injuries. As two interested musicians, we carried out a Medline search of the available medical literature and scoured the internet for supportive organisations. We discovered the dangers hidden within the confines of the orchestral practice room; we also briefly looked at the dangers associated with other types of music making. Welcome to the world of fiddler’s neck, laryngeal blowouts, and Satchmo’s syndrome.

Musicians who tour have unique stresses placed on their health, many of which are well documented on the website of the Performing Arts Medicine Association.1 Hours of travel disturbing the normal circadian rhythm, lack of healthy food and exercise, time spent away from home and family, and the pressures of maintaining performance excellence2 and of stage fright all take their toll on physical …