Chiropractic Saves the Career of a Violinist
By Chris Brown
Chiropractic's ability to heal chronic pain conditions is well documented. But is its ability to reduce pain strong enough to save a person's career? In the case of a violinist with severe musculoskeletal pain, it did just that. Chiropractic manipulation has shown great promise in relieving the limiting pains of performance-related musculoskeletal disorders common with professional musicians.
The Performance-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders of Musicians
The hours of practice required to bring one's instrument play to a professional level makes performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) common in the musical community. Research has found that an estimated 39-69 percent of orchestral musicians have PRMD, with one survey finding upwards of 93 percent suffered from the condition.
Musicians with PRMD begin having difficulty playing their instrument at a high level due to pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in their backs, hands, and arms. The cause is the inevitable wear of countless hours of repeated movements in poor postural positions. Because the act of playing itself progressively worsens the condition, it forces a reported 12 percent of orchestral musicians into early retirement. The consequences can be devastating financially and cause a loss-of-self for a life-long musician. Luckily, research has revealed a potentially career-saving treatment in chiropractic manipulation.
The Case Study of the Violinist Saved By Chiropractic
A 64-year-old female violinist came to a chiropractor suffering from PRMD, with intense pains in her wrists, arms, neck, and hip. The pain had started affecting her ability to play so badly that she was considering retirement. Prior to treatment, an initial radiographic scan showed subluxations of the cervical spine in her upper neck. Following her first session of spinal manipulation, the violinist felt immediate pain relief in her wrist. Over the course of nine months of treatments, her condition progressively improved until she was finally able to resume her career full-time, pain-free, and with increased stamina. These results showed chiropractic's ability to treat PRMD in musicians whose primary cause of pain and weakness are subluxations of the neck and spine.
If you are a musician suffering from PRMD pains, a convenient walk-in visit to your local chiropractor, The Joint Chiropractic, may just resurrect your ability to play. The Joint offers affordable, insurance-free sessions at all of its 600-plus clinics nationwide. So don't hesitate to visit one of The Joint's offices today to grant your ability to showcase your musical talents, pain-free, tomorrow.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Cleveland, Tenn.