Short answer
When designing for musicians or other performers, avoid assuming that playing multiple instruments or varying tasks is inherently beneficial for preventing musculoskeletal issues. Instead, analyze the specific biomechanical loads imposed by each activity and their cumulative effects.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (2017)
- Method
- Cross-sectional study
- Sample
- 141 participants
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Contrary to the assumption that varied ergonomic load is protective, professional bassists who play multiple instruments are more likely to experience left shoulder pain. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. Using Cross-sectional study with 141 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for musicians or other performers, avoid assuming that playing multiple instruments or varying tasks is inherently beneficial for preventing musculoskeletal issues. Instead, analyze the specific biomechanical loads imposed by each activity and their cumulative effects.
Multi-instrumentalism in bassists increases left shoulder musculoskeletal complaints
Contrary to the assumption that varied ergonomic load is protective, professional bassists who play multiple instruments are more likely to experience left shoulder pain.
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health · 2017
Key Findings
- 01No significant difference in musculoskeletal complaints in the neck, back, right shoulder, or wrists between multi-instrumentalists and mono-instrumentalists.
- 02Multi-instrumentalists had a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing musculoskeletal complaints in the left shoulder compared to mono-instrumentalists.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing for musicians or other performers, avoid assuming that playing multiple instruments or varying tasks is inherently beneficial for preventing musculoskeletal issues. Instead, analyze the specific biomechanical loads imposed by each activity and their cumulative effects.
How to apply
When designing equipment or performance spaces for musicians, consider specialized support or modifications for the left shoulder if the user is known to play multiple instruments.
Project actions
- 01When researching user activities, don't just assume variety is good; investigate how different activities combine.
- 02Consider how your design might interact with other activities a user performs outside of your product's direct use.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Investigated a relevant and under-researched area in occupational health for musicians.
- +Used statistical methods to control for potential confounding factors.
Limitations
This study only looked at bass players, so the findings might not apply to other musicians or professions. It also relies on self-reported pain.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity relies on accurate self-reporting and the appropriateness of the logistic regression model for the data. Reliability could be affected by variations in questionnaire interpretation and recall bias.
Think critically
If varied exposure is not protective, what specific types of exposure variation are detrimental, and why?
Design Principles
"Ergonomic interventions should be tailored to the specific demands of combined tasks, as task variation does not universally reduce musculoskeletal risk."
This research challenges the common belief that diversifying physical tasks inherently reduces the risk of musculoskeletal complaints. For designers and ergonomists, it highlights the need for nuanced analysis of load variation, as some forms of variation may exacerbate specific issues rather than mitigate them.
What This Means for Your Design
Even though playing different instruments might seem like a good way to avoid straining the same body part, for bass players, it actually made their left shoulder more likely to hurt.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this study to justify investigating the specific ergonomic impacts of combining different user activities in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research by Woldendorp et al. (2017) on professional bass players found that multi-instrumentalism, often assumed to be protective against musculoskeletal complaints due to varied ergonomic load, was instead associated with a higher prevalence of left shoulder pain. This challenges the simplistic notion that task variation inherently reduces occupational risk and suggests that specific combinations of activities can exacerbate certain physical complaints.
Source
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
Variation in occupational exposure associated with musculoskeletal complaints: a cross-sectional study among professional bassists
journal · 2017
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about multi-instrumentalism in bassists increases left shoulder musculoskeletal complaints?
- When designing for musicians or other performers, avoid assuming that playing multiple instruments or varying tasks is inherently beneficial for preventing musculoskeletal issues. Instead, analyze the specific biomechanical loads imposed by each activity and their cumulative effects. Evidence: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (2017).
- Why does "Multi-instrumentalism in bassists increases left shoulder musculoskeletal complaints" matter for design?
- This research challenges the common belief that diversifying physical tasks inherently reduces the risk of musculoskeletal complaints. For designers and ergonomists, it highlights the need for nuanced analysis of load variation, as some forms of variation may exacerbate specific issues rather than mitigate them.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing for musicians or other performers, avoid assuming that playing multiple instruments or varying tasks is inherently beneficial for preventing musculoskeletal issues. Instead, analyze the specific biomechanical loads imposed by each activity and their cumulative effects.
- What were the main findings?
- No significant difference in musculoskeletal complaints in the neck, back, right shoulder, or wrists between multi-instrumentalists and mono-instrumentalists.. Multi-instrumentalists had a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing musculoskeletal complaints in the left shoulder compared to mono-instrumentalists.
- What research method was used?
- Cross-sectional study with 141 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing equipment or performance spaces for musicians, consider specialized support or modifications for the left shoulder if the user is known to play multiple instruments.
- What are the limitations?
- The study is cross-sectional, preventing causal inferences. Self-reported data may be subject to recall bias. The specific nature of 'multi-instrumentalism' and the exact exposure variations were not detailed.