Relationship of Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Musical Practice Intensity among Musicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Questionnaire Study.

Introduction: As soon as COVID-19 spread around the world, prevention and control measures were taken, such as masking and physical distancing, which changed people's routines, including musical practice among professional and amateur musicians.

Objective: This descriptive questionnaire study was designed to: 1) investigate how the pandemic affected musical practice among musicians; 2) determine how musicians remained motivated in their new routine; 3) identify the presence of pre-COVID musculoskeletal symptoms; and 4) analyze whether musculoskeletal symptoms decreased, maintained, or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A total of 89 musicians from Brazil participated in an online survey, from August 2020 to January 2021. The survey form included questions about motivation, musical practice frequency, and the presence and characterization of musculoskeletal symptoms (adapted from the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, NMQ). Musicians were asked to consider the periods before and during the pandemic to answer the questions.

Results: During the pandemic, the frequency of musical practice decreased (p<0.01), and it could be associated with the individual's perceptions of motivation. Musculoskeletal symptoms in the previous 12 months were reported by 58%. When comparing the period before the pandemic to the present, 35.3% of musicians reported their musculoskeletal symptoms had not changed, while 33.3% reported that they had increased. Wrists and hands, lower and upper back, shoulders, and neck were the body sites with most frequent complaints.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the frequency of musical practice of the musicians assessed in this study, with a significant decrease in practice time. Musculoskeletal symptoms were present in this population prior to the pandemic, and these symptoms were mostly maintained or worsened.