When Helping Hurts: A Survey of Performance-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Music Therapists.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the rate of performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD) in music therapists.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was sent to all actively board-certified music therapists in the United States.

RESULTS

A provisional estimate of 84% (n=642) of this sample of music therapists reported experiencing PRMD in their lifetime, with wrists/hands being most injured. Risk factors associated with increased odds of injury included multiple occupational factors and job stress. Most music therapists reported experiencing mild disability in the past week. A variety of psychological factors were associated with higher levels of current disability while one social factor contributed to lower current disability scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Occupational injury in music therapists is high with a variety of work-related risk factors. Despite when they were initially injured, most participants were still working with mild levels of disability.