Effect of Using Ergobrass Ergonomic Supports on Postural Muscles in Trumpet, Trombone, and French Horn Players
- Submitting institution
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University of South Wales / Prifysgol De Cymru
: B - B – Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies : B - B – Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Output identifier
- 4821270
- Type
- D - Journal article
- DOI
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10.21091/mppa.2018.3026
- Title of journal
- Medical Problems of Performing Artists
- Article number
- -
- First page
- 183-190
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 3
- ISSN
- 0885-1158
- Open access status
- Deposit exception
- Month of publication
- -
- Year of publication
- 2018
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
-
- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- Ergonomic supports for musical instruments are increasingly available, but there have been few studies to demonstrate that they have the effects claimed for them. The object of this research was to test whether a newly devised set of supports for brass instruments (made by Ergobrass™) could be shown to reduce activity in the postural muscles used to support them. Activity in 12 postural muscles (six on each side of the body) was recorded using electromyography. Comparisons of activ-ity were made in 20 RWCMD students when playing the same pieces with and without the sup-ports. High and low studies were played when sitting and standing but similar results were ob-tained regardless of these conditions. Comparisons were also made of the amount of activity needed to support each instrument. The Ergobrass supports caused statistically significant reduc-tions in the activity of key postural muscle used to support all three instruments. Mean reductions in muscle activity were typically of the order of 10-25%, however some players achieved much greater reductions. It is anticipated that the results of this work will be communicated directly to players through articles in publications such as the Brass Herald and Horn Player.
Initiated by Kevin Price through his links with Ergobrass, the study is a result of his use of the sup-ports following a shoulder injury, and his systematic approach to rebuilding strength and tech-nique. Kevin was involved in the design of the protocols, recruitment of the subjects and the inter-pretation of the results. Alan Watson has experience in electromyography and was in charge of the physiological recordings and initial data analysis.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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