EMG trapezius muscle activity pattern in string players: Part I - is there variability in the playing technique?

Work related neck and shoulder disorders are a great problem for string musicians. A playing technique with more relaxed muscles and a greater variation in the muscle activity pattern, i.e., with shorter sequences at a varied number of amplitude levels as reflected by electromyography (EMG), might prevent pain. This study used EMG to study variations in the trapezius muscle activity pattern in 12 string musicians performing a piece of music at two playing sessions separated by a ten-week interval. Nine of the string musicians played violin, two viola and one cello. Exposure variation analysis and principal component analysis were used for analysis of the EMG. The trapezius muscle activity pattern was similar in the first and second playing sessions showing that each musician repeated his/her own muscular activity pattern. However, there was considerable variability in the muscle activity pattern between cello, violin and viola players and between individual violin players. Thus, this EMG method has the potential to identify variations and reproducibility of trapezius muscle activity in string musicians. This method may be used to analyse individual differences when performing a musical work task and to evaluate intervention studies. Relevance to industry Intervention studies on muscle activity pattern which try to change the work technique need to be evaluated. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.