Pain and Posture of Children and Adolescents Who Learn the Accordion as Compared with Non-Musician Students.

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed the effect of practicing the accordion on pain and posture of children and adolescent students.

METHODS

Pain and posture (forward head posture, scapular posture, and lumbar lordosis) were compared between two groups of preparatory and secondary school students, matched for age and sex: those who took accordion lessons (accordionists, n=16) and those who never studied a musical instrument (non-musicians, n=16).

RESULTS

Students taking accordion lessons reported significantly more pain in the shoulder, wrist/hand, and thoracic regions (p<0.05), showed significantly more forward head posture (accordionists, median ± interquartile distance [IQ] distance = 35.6° ± 7.8°; non-musicians = 45.3° ± 10.8°; p<0.05), and significantly increased lumbar lordosis (accordionists, median ± IQ distance = 55.5° ± 30.6°; nonmusicians = 39.0° ± 3.9°; p<0.05). No significant differences were found for scapular posture between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that children and adolescents who play the accordion have an increased forward head posture and lumbar lordosis and a tendency to report more pain than children and adolescents who do not play a musical instrument. Results corroborate the need for including healthy preventive teaching-learning strategies at music conservatoires.