Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Pain in Student and Professional Musicians: Associations with Practice Habits and Healthcare Support

Playing-related musculoskeletal pain is common among musicians and may affect performance, quality of life, and professional continuity. This exploratory cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of playing-related musculoskeletal pain in student and professional musicians. An anonymous survey was administered to student and professional musicians. Data were analyzed descriptively; normality was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, and between-group comparisons were performed using Mann–Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, or Fisher exact tests as appropriate. Effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were reported where possible. Ninety-seven musicians participated, including 61 students and 36 professionals. Seventy-three participants (75.3%) reported pain while playing. Compared with musicians without pain, musicians reporting pain showed numerically higher daily practice duration, weekly practice duration, and uninterrupted practice duration, but these differences were not statistically significant. Only 31 participants (32.0%) reported having consulted a physiotherapist. The associations between practice duration and pain were weak and not statistically significant after the corrected analysis. Owing to the cross-sectional design and self-reported outcomes, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and not as evidence of causality. Preventive education, workload management, and improved access to healthcare professionals with expertise in performing arts medicine may help reduce the burden of musculoskeletal symptoms in musicians.