Affiliations: The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario,
Canada | McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Christine Guptill, Room 1011c,
Elborn College, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, N6G 1H1.
Tel.: +1 519 850 2453; E-mail: cguptill@uwo.ca
Abstract: Professional and student musicians are at high risk of acquiring a
playing-related injury at some point in their careers. Yet, specialized
healthcare for musicians is scarce and expensive for most self-employed
musicians. Diagnosing these injuries is challenging, and simply taking a break
from an activity that has caused physical problems does not address the
ergonomic and biomechanic causes of the problem. Under these circumstances, it
is not surprising that musicians are reluctant to seek care, and when they do,
lack trust in the care that is provided to them. This article is a case
presentation of the experiences of a graduate student musician studying
performance at a North American university. A narrative style is used to
reflect the quality and nature of experiences this musician encountered,
followed by a discussion of how to advance a more participatory and holistic
approach to enabling return to function.
Keywords: Playing-related injuries, musicians' injuries, case study
