Symptoms of craniomandibular dysfunction in professional orchestra musicians.

Background: Up to 80% of professional musicians are affected by playing-related musculoskeletal disorders, but data regarding the frequency of craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) in professional orchestra musicians is scarce.

Aims: To evaluate the frequency of CMD and its relation to musculoskeletal pain in various body regions.

Methods: A questionnaire-based survey approach assessing CMD symptoms and musculoskeletal pain in professional orchestra players was adopted. Relative prevalence rates and prevalence ratios for different instrument groups were estimated.

Results: A total of 408 musicians completed the questionnaire (response rate 57%). Playing-related pain in the teeth or jaw was reported by 19-47% of musicians and TMJ pain by 15-34%, depending on the instrument group. Current pain in the face indicating a painful CMD was reported in 6-10% and related symptoms such as teeth grinding in 25-34%, jaw clenching in 33-42% and jaw locking in 11-18% of musicians. Females were 2.4 times (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.49-3.84) more likely to report having had orofacial pain within the last month. Musicians reporting orofacial pain within the last month were 4.8 times (95% CI: 2.83-8.02) more likely to report pain in the neck and 2.5-3.8 times (P < 0.05) more likely to report pain in other body regions, including shoulders, right wrist, left fingers and the thoracic and lumbar spine.

Conclusions: Symptoms suggesting CMD were common in this study of professional orchestra musicians and were associated with pain in the neck, shoulder and hands. There is a need to enhance awareness of CMD to optimize early medical diagnosis and treatment.