Possibilities of physiotherapy for professional flute players

Music is an integral part of human life. Its therapeutic effects have been described, but it also affects professional musicians in terms of physiology. When playing a musical instrument, a player's body position is strongly influenced especially for musical instruments that require an asymmetrical posture. The flute belongs to this group of musical instruments. Playing this musical instrument may therefore involve certain health risks. The aim of this bachelor's thesis was to describe the movement stereotypes that may arise when playing the transverse flute, and then to propose compensatory exercises to mitigate the risks of musculoskeletal disorders in flutists. The theoretical part of the thesis includes a description of kinesiology concepts relevant to the subsequent practical part, such as movement stereotypes, deep stabilization system, posture and shoulder joint kinesiology. Furthermore, asymmetric loading and ergonomics of playing the flute are described. Health problems that can often occur in professional flute players are also discussed. The practical part describes qualitative research that was conducted with a group of flute players. A kinesiological examination was performed on the respondents. The lateral scapular slide test was used as an additional test to assess the relative position of the scapulae. The practical part also included the education of exercises from a pre-prepared exercise unit aimed at preventing the development of, as well as compensating for, movement stereotypes in flute players. From the results, we can say that the inclusion of compensatory exercises to the flute playing was beneficial for the respondents. The content of the paper could be used in clinical physiotherapy, and could also be useful for professional flutists themselves, or in the teaching of the flute in Primary Art Schools