Wellness

 

INTRODUCTION TO INJURY

With thousands of participants nationally, marching band is a strenuous activity with significant potential for injury. Many musicians are willing to play through injuries at a very young age, and the risks do not stop musicians from pursuing their love of performing and playing their instruments. Some musicians even believe that pain is inherent to the level of performance they try to achieve. A sense of blame and responsibility for their injuries causes many musicians to ignore the pain, and to interpret their injuries as an indication of inferior talent and overall failure as a performer. The good news is that most injuries can be avoided and managed through understanding the cumulative load of practice and performance and the multiple variables involved in an injury.

RISK FACTORS FOR INJURY

• Muscle fatigue/tension
• Poor posture
• Biomechanical flaws and training errors (e.g. compression of the mouthpiece into the lips with brass instruments to facilitate higher notes, or the position of the instrument in relation to the mouth causing jaw issues)
• Psychological stressors
• Difficulties using hearing protection devices
• Sudden increases in training
• Changes in repertoire
• Inadequate rest
• Increased speed of movement (marching)
• Setting formations and changing directions
• The art and style of marching
• Poor lighting and excessive sound levels (negatively impacts posture, quality of movement, and stress levels)
• Showmanship of marching may exaggerate movements and increase the risk of injury due to the increased intensity and repetition of those movements

ACUTE

• Sprained ankles
• Lacerations/contusions from collisions
• Concussions
• Muscle strains

CHRONIC/OVERUSE

• Posture-related
• Aerobic fitness/fatigue
• Delayed onset muscle soreness
• Swollen/deformed joints 

INSTRUMENT-SPECIFIC INJURIES

BRASS

Force, posture, and repetition are the most common causal factors for injury. The arm holding the instrument is more heavily impacted due to its role in stabilizing a heavy instrument. The dominant hand experiences injuries due to fine motor work. Additionally, compression of the mouthpiece into the face can cause lip injury and tension in the supporting jaw muscles. 

WOODWINDS

An asymmetric posture is expected but often results in an imbalance in strength and flexibility. Injuries may arise due to the pressure on the fingers holding the instrument, especially if the instrumentalist has hyper-mobility at those joints. Injuries also occur as a result of supporting the weight of the instrument.   

PERCUSSION

Posture, the weight of the instrument, and speed of playing are contributing factors for injury, as are increased aerobic demands and physical flexibility across a range of instruments. 

IMPORTANCE OF WARM-UP AND COOL DOWN

WARM-UP

Instrumentalists are athletes of the small and postural muscles but don't always take care of themselves with the same rigor as athletes do in terms of injury prevention.

COOL DOWN

Cooling down decreases lactic acid build-up and decreases muscle soreness.

REHEARSAL DURATION/REST BREAKS

It's important to perform rest breaks during organized rehearsals and when you are pacing yourself with individual practice sessions. Keeping your body active during breaks is helpful when you have to resume activity (e.g. going outside for a walk, performing light stretching, light exercise to address any areas of your body that may feel tight or limited, performing visualization of the piece you just practiced, or meditation and yoga in place to help calm the mind and promote good posture and tissue flexibility). Also, be sure to rehydrate and provide your working body with proper nutrition.

POSTURE

IMPORTANCE OF POSTURAL CHECKS

Marching band performers are at risk of the same poor postural habits as any college student, including “cell phone head," rounded shoulders and forward head, all of which place undue stress on the head and neck and can lead to muscle imbalances and pain.  Performing self-checks for postural alignment can help bring awareness to these faulty positions before they turn into limiting conditions.

Awareness and fluidity of your total body posture when practicing and performing in the Spirit of Stony Brook, as well as when you are studying, relaxing, using your phone and reading are paramount to feeling well and limiting strain and pain in your muscles and joints. By definition, posture is “the position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting” (Cleveland Clinic, 2019). Address injuries and lingering pain quickly for best results. If you have a more flexible body type than your peers, also known as “double-jointed” you may benefit from learning and using different joint positions and/or strengthening exercises to limit pain with practicing or marching. Some of you may also find that purchasing ergonomic supports for your instrument or seeing a specialized Performing Arts Therapist is the most efficient way to address any pain issues you have.

TIPS FOR MINIMIZING NECK, SHOULDER, AND BACK PAIN

For those of you who sit to practice your instrument, realize you also have added stress to your spine from sitting to do school work and using electronics for both fun and work purposes.

• Don’t stay in one position too long. Set a timer on your phone for 45 minutes or less and move around or take a break from whatever posture you were just in
• Sit tall with a pillow or rolled towel supporting your lower back
• Stand, walk and march tall to engage core muscles; consider core conditioning if you have back pain issues
• Bring electronics up to your eye level. Your head weighs 10-12 lbs. This is all the weight the muscles along the back of the neck and tops of shoulders were designed to support. When you start looking down at your phone or computer, the weight of the head quickly increases to 40+ pounds and can easily cause neck strain, pain and headaches

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING PAIN  

• Find a provider that understands your practice and performance needs and can speak the language of an instrumentalist.
• When you are injured, consider performing relative rest (activities that still allow you to play/practice, but in a manner that does not cause pain) as opposed to complete, absolute rest. Engaging in other forms of practice, such as shadow-playing, mental practice, and visualization are helpful ways to keep learning while you are allowing your body to recover.
• Perform cross-training and address any lingering conditions during the off-season
• Ergonomic modifications can assist with the management of the weight and height of instruments such as sousaphones, drums, piccolos, and other instruments to avoid injuries caused by heavy instruments, asymmetries, and imbalances.

MUSICIAN SELF-AWARENESS CHECKLIST

To improve understanding of your body and any possible limitations that may cause injury, it is good to know more about these physical education domains that are relevant to the musician’s general fitness and health: 

• Cardiorespiratory endurance
• Muscle endurance
• Muscle strength
• Posture
• Body composition
• Flexibility
• Nutrition
• Sleep
  
  
  
  These domains contribute to the following in various performance scenarios:

• • Consistency of motor control/efficiency of movement
• Maintenance of ergonomic posture (core stability)
• Technique relaxation and flow
• Ergonomics—environment, set up, equipment

 

COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES (CAPS)

CAPS is committed to creating an environment based on our values of multicultural, multi-disciplinary, and multi-theoretical practices that allow our diverse student body to access care, receive high-quality services, and take positive pathways to mental health.

CAPS is located in the Student Health Services Building
Second Floor
1 Stadium Road, Stony Brook NY 11794-3100
Hours can be found here.

 

CAPS provides:

•Brief individual, couples, and group therapy
•Drop-In workshops and outreach presentations
•Urgent/Crisis intervention
•Psychiatric evaluation and medication monitoring in conjunction with ongoing therapy
•Assistance with referrals

Have an urgent concern or crisis?

• Call or walk-in to CAPS (on central campus, during business hours) to see the Counselor on Duty. No appointment is necessary.
• CAPS After Hours: If you need help with an urgent mental health concern after typical business hours call CAPS at 631-632-6720 and press 2.

 

OVERVIEW

Good hearing is necessary for musical performance and for the well-being of college students.

Music Induced Hearing Disorders (MIHDs) including hearing loss, tinnitus, and sound distortions caused when an individual is exposed to excessive loudness and duration of music. Excessive sound exposures tax the auditory system and can result in temporary and permanent effects, such as sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. College students who have MIHDs can experience a negative impact on their quality of life including heightened listening effort, social isolation, poor sleep, as well as anxiety and depression.

The good news is that MIHDs can be avoided with appropriate education and prevention measures. Reducing the loudness and duration of sound can keep music at safe exposure levels for students.

The recommendations for safe exposure, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, are as follows:

Time to reach 100% daily noise dose // Exposure level
8 hours // 85 dBA
4 hours // 88 dBA
2 hours // 91 dBA
1 hour // 94 dBA
30 minutes // 97 dBA
15 minutes // 100 dBA

Marching band volumes average 100 dBA, which means that the maximum daily dosage is reached within 15 minutes. If proper protection and prevention measures are not taken, participants may run a higher risk of hearing loss. The importance of properly fitting hearing protection is an effective way to reduce loudness exposure to safe levels. 

HEARING HEALTH FOR MUSICIANS

ACCESS TO HEARING PROTECTION

The Spirit of Stony Brook provides high-fidelity earplugs to all students and staff members to use throughout the season. Students who wish to supply their own earplugs, or would like to use a different kind of earplugs, may do so.

RESOURCES

• NIDCD Hearing Health Fact Sheet
• NIDCD YouTube video- The Journey of Sound to the Brain
• “Hearing Health” SMTD Performing WellCAST video with Bruce Edwards, AuD
• Music Induced Hearing Loss: What Do College Students Know?
• 5 Ways to Reduce Hearing Damage
• American Tinnitus Association
• Hearing Protection: How to Use Formable Earplugs
• Protecting Your Hearing Health – Student Information Sheet on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (Performing Arts Medicine Association/National Association of Schools of Music)